KATHMANDU, MAR 12 –

Decks have been cleared for the private sector to get into transmission lines construction.

A board meeting of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) on Monday decided to allow the private sector to invest in transmission line projects. Till now, NEA was the sole entity permitted to build transmission lines in the country.

As per NEA board decision, the private sector will be allowed to invest in transmission line development projects under the build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) model.

NEA board member Damber Nepali said the private sector would be allowed to develop such projects on condition that the NEA would take the projects over after 15 years.

Initially, only smaller domestic projects, with costs up to Rs 500 million, will be given to the private companies as trial.

“We decided to award private companies smaller projects in the initial phase because neither they have the experience in building transmission lines nor the government has any experience in monitoring such projects executed by private investors,” said Nepali.

Another senior NEA official said: “Their (the private investors’) performance in the trial phase will determine whether they will be awarded larger scale and cross boarder projects.”

Currently, NEA is working on the modality, based on which transmission lines projects will be awarded to private companies.  A team led by Rajeshwor Man Sulpiya will study various international models and prepare the most suitable and investor-friendly system to make private investors feel comfortable. The proposed modality is expected to institutionalise the private sector investment in the construction of power lines.

Previously, the Energy Ministry had proposed that an individual investor/firm be allowed to invest up to 33 percent of the total cost of a transmission line project. It had also recommended that the government allow the private sector to erect transmission lines under two models — Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) and Build and Transfer (BT).

The private sector had long been demanding that they be allowed to develop transmission lines projects. A number of companies, including Himalaya Energy Development Company (HEDC), have even submitted proposals to obtain the Energy Ministry’s go-ahead in this regard.

HEDC has proposed building the 132KV Khimti-Gajryang transmission line under the Build and Transfer (BT) modality.

The idea of inviting the private sector in transmission line construction is not new. The Interim Plan has envisioned involving the public and private sectors, community and cooperatives in power generation and transmission.

The government has planned to construct 408 km transmission lines in the current Interim Plan (2010-11 to 2012-13). However, not a single transmission line project has been completed although the NEA has already started work on the Bharatpur-Hetauda, Khimti-Dhalkebar and Thankot-Chapagaun-Bhaktapur lines.

“As the private sector is more flexible in project development than the NEA and they can also encourage local people, private investors’ involvement in transmission lines will benefit the country’s power sector,” said Nepali.

Source : The Kathmandu Post

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NEA to invite IPPs to construct transmission line

KATHMANDU: Nepal Electricity Authority today decided in principle to invite the Independent Power Producers for the construction of transmission line meant for linking the power houses to the closest substation of the national grid.

This is the first time the NEA’s board had ever deci-ded to invite private parties for the transmission line construction. NEA’s board-member Dambar Bahadur Nepali said‚ the NEA has asked the management to begin awarding the private parities for the construction of the linkage transmission lines worth below Rs 500 million.

The decision came after private parties were hesitant to carry out the construction works smoothly in several cases fearing the would-be absence of power-evacuation without transmission lines would cost more than to remain without selling the power. “Our work in transmission line construction was delayed. We took the decision expecting private sector to do it faster‚” added Nepali.

The setting of technical specifications‚ working model and payment schemes are underway at the NEA‚ according to Nepali. The decision was taken after a brainstorming session that it was injustice as the NEA charges fines from the private power developers for delaying beyond commissioning date as per the power purchase agreement. “However NEA’s failure to construct power evacuation lines was never thought of‚” said Teknath Acharya‚ another board member.

President of the Independent Power Producers’ Association Nepal (IPPAN) Subarna Das Shrestha has welcomed the decision saying that NEA’s move can be taken as a ‘step forward’ for power development. “The transmission line is a crucial issue as many developers have faced the problem of collecting fun-ds from banks and financial institutions in absence of transmission line‚” Shrestha added.

He went on to say that many developers involved in construction have proposed to construct transmission line to link with the substation. “We have proposed either the NEA to pay the construction cost of transmission line‚ or give additional payment at PPA rate‚” said Shrestha.

Source : The Himalayan Times

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प्रसारण–लाइन बनाउन निजी क्षेत्रलाई खुला

काठमाडौं, २८ फागुन – नेपाल विद्युत् प्राधिकरणले निर्माण, सञ्चालन, स्वामित्व र हस्तान्तरण (बुट) नीतिअन्तर्गत ५० करोड रुपैयाँ लागतसम्मका विद्युत् प्रसारण–लाइन निर्माण निजी क्षेत्रलाई दिने भएको छ । सोमबारको प्राधिकरण सञ्चालक समिति बैठकले १५ वर्षभित्र किस्ताबन्दीमा सम्पूर्ण लगानी फिर्ता गर्ने गरी इच्छुक प्रवद्र्धकलाई प्रसारण–लाइन बनाउन दिने सैद्धान्तिक सहमति दिएको हो ।
विद्युत् प्राधिकरणले कार्यविधि तयार गरेपछि योजना लागू हुनेछ । सो अवधिसम्म प्रवद्र्धकले प्रसारण–लाइन निर्माण र सञ्चालन गरी स्वामित्व विद्युत् प्राधिकरणलाई हस्तान्तरण गर्नुपर्ने छ ।
प्राधिकरणको यो निर्णयबाट प्रसारण–लाइन निर्माणमा देखिएको समस्या समधान हुने अपेक्षा गरिएको छ । केही प्रवद्र्धकले आफ्नो लगानीमा बुट नीतिअन्तर्गत प्रसारण–लाइन बनाउने प्रस्ताव विद्युत् प्राधिकरणमा गरेका थिए ।
प्रसारण–लाइन क्षमता र क्षेत्रको स्पेसिफिकेसन विद्युत् प्राधिकरणबाट स्वीकृत गरेपछि मात्र प्रवद्र्धकले निर्माण अनुमति पाउनेछन् । प्राधिकरणले प्रसारण–लाइन बनाउन सहजीकरण गर्नेछ ।
प्राधिकरणले प्रसारण–लाइन सञ्जाल विस्तार नभएको क्षेत्रमा बन्ने विद्युत् आयोजनाका प्रवद्र्धकहरूसँग धमाधम विद्युत् खरिद सम्झौता (पीपीए) गर्दै आएको छ । आयोजना निर्माण हुने तर प्रसारण–लाइन अभावमा बिजुली खेर जाने अवस्था आउन थालेपछि प्राधिकरण यस्तो निर्णयमा पुगको हो । बजेट अभाव देखाउँदै प्राधिकरणले प्रसारण–लाइन निर्माण गरेको छैन ।
चार वर्षभित्रमा निजी क्षेत्रबाट मात्रै ४ सय मेगावाट विद्युत् उत्पादन हुनेगरी तीन दर्जनभन्दा बढी आयोजना निर्माणाधीन छन् । यस्तै, विद्युत् प्राधिकरण र अन्तर्गतका कम्पनीबाट पनि धमाधम विद्युत् आयोजना निर्माण भइरहेका छन् ।
प्राधिकरणले पूर्वदेखि पश्चिमसम्म विभिन्न करिडोरमा ३३ केभीदेखि ४ सय केभी क्षमताका ५३ वटा प्रसारण–लाइन बनाउने योजना ल्याए पनि बजेट अभावमा बन्न सकेका छैनन् । विद्युत् प्राधिकरणले थालेका कुनै पनि प्रसारण–लाइन सम्पन्न भएका छैनन् ।
सरकारले निर्माण थालेको प्रसारण–लाइन आयोजना जग्गा प्राप्तिका विषयमा स्थानीय बासिन्दासँग सहमति हुन नसकेपछि निर्माण पूरा हुन नसकेका हुन् । यो समस्या निजी क्षेत्रका लागि समेत अवरोधक बन्न सक्ने औंल्याइएको छ ।
विद्युत् प्राधिकरणले प्रसारण–लाइन बनाउन नसकेपछि पीपीएका साथै सरकारबाट विद्युत् उत्पादन लाइसेन्स पाएका दुई दर्जनभन्दा बढी जलविद्युत् आयोजनाको निर्माण रोकिएको छ । समयमै प्रसारण–लाइन नबन्ने भएपछि प्रतिस्पर्धाबाट निर्माण हुन लागेका ६ वटा जलविद्युत् आयोजनाका लगानीकर्तासँग प्राधिकरणले पीपीए गरेको छैन ।
प्रसारण–लाइनको ढिलाइले सोलु करिडोरमा सोलु (२३ मेगावाट) र तल्लोसोलु (८२ मेगावाट), तामाकोसी करिडोरमा सिंगटी (१६ मेगावाट) र खारे (२४ मेगावाट) जलविद्युत् आयोजनाको पीपीए भएको छैन । यस्तै, कोसी करिडोरमा मेवा (५० मेगावाट) र मायाखोला (१४ मेगावाट) आयोजनाको पनि पीपीए रोकिएको छ ।
सरकारले मायाखोला आयोजनालाई ०७२ को चैत, ५० मेगावाटको मेवाखोला आयोजनाका लागि ०७४ जेठमा र सोलु करिडोरमा ०७३ को पुससम्ममा प्रसारण–लाइन बनाउने भने पनि बजेट अभावमा निर्माण सुरु भएको छैन । यसले गर्दा सन् २०१५ को अन्त्यसम्म आयोजना निर्माण सम्पन्न गर्ने लगानीकर्ताको लक्ष्य प्रभावित भएको छ ।
यस्तै, १२ मेगावाटको माथिल्लो खिम्ती र ९.६ मेगाावाटको माथिल्लो पिलुवाखोला आयोजना पनि प्रभावित भएका छन् । कावेली करिडोरमा पनि निर्धारित समयमै प्रसारण–लाइन नबन्दा २५ मेगावाटको कावेली बी–१ र ३७ मेगावाटको कावेली ‘ए’ आयोजना पनि प्रभावित हुने भएको छ । रोबस्ट इनर्जीले निर्माण गर्न लागेको ४२ मेगावाटको मिस्ट्रीखोलालाई पनि प्रसारण–लाइनकै ढिलाइले समस्या परेको छ ।
सिनर्जी पावरले दोलखामा निर्माण गरेको १० मेगावाटको सिप्रिङखोला आयोजना निर्माण सम्पन्न भइसक्दा पनि प्रसारण–लाइन बनेको छैन । आयोजनाको बिजुली निर्माणाधीन माथिल्लो तामाकोसी जलविद्युत् आयोजनाले खपत गरिरहेको छ ।
आयोजनाबाट उत्पादन हुने बिजुली राजधानीसम्म ल्याउन सरकारले बनाउने भनेको सिंगटी–लामोसाँघु १३२ केभी प्रसारण–लाइन पूरा भएको छैन ।

प्रस्तुति: कारोबार