Kathmandu, 19 January 2077. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has inaugurated the country’s largest and first 400 KV Dhalkebar substation at Mithila Municipality-7 Dhalkebar in Dhanusha. Prime Minister Oli inaugurated the 400 KV and 220 KV substations spread over 13 bighas of land at a program organized in Dhalkebar on Monday. Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Top Bahadur Rayamajhi and Urban Development Minister Prabhu Sahal were present on the occasion.
Gas Insulated Substation (GIS) technology has become the country’s largest power hub for East-West power supply and electricity trade with India. The 400-220 KV Dhalkebar substation, built with an investment of Rs 2.20 billion by the Government of Nepal and Electricity Authority, is the first substation in Nepal based on the 400 KV system.
The 400 ÷ 220 KV Dhalkebar substation has three 315 MVA capacity and 945 MVA capacity power transformers that can transmit about 900 MW of electricity. Similarly, the capacity of three transformers at 220 के 132 KV substation is 635 MVA while another 315 MVA is being connected.
As soon as the substation comes into operation, up to one thousand megawatts of electricity can be exchanged between the two countries through the first 400 kV cross-border transmission line between Nepal and India, Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur. After the completion of Hetauda-Dhalkebar-Inaruwa 400 KV transmission line, about two hundred megawatts of electricity can be sent from Dhalkebar substation to Hetauda and Inaruwa. Electricity of 456 MW Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project under construction in Dolakha can be brought to Dhalkebar substation through Gongar-Khimti-Dhalkebar 220 KV transmission line and sent to East-West for consumption in the country.
Until the construction of Hetauda-Dhalkebar-Inaruwa 400 kV transmission line is completed, about 300 MW of electricity can be sent from east to west through the existing 132 kV transmission line.
Excess electricity by internal consumption can be exported to India through substations. Automated state-of-the-art substations with GIS technology are designed to be further expanded in the future. The Dhalkebar substation will also provide free energy to Nepal from the 900 MW Arun III Hydropower Project being constructed by the Indian company Sutlej.
The contract agreement for the construction of 400 KV substation was signed on 22 January 2074. The construction of the substation was affected by the floods of the Terai, the cold wave and the devastation of Kovid-19 which spread all over the world. The project consultant was Nepali company NEA Engineering.
The 220-132 KV substation has been constructed with the investment of the Government of Nepal and NEA and the Nepal-India Power Transmission and Trade Project of the World Bank. Expansion and consolidation of internal transmission and distribution and inter-country transmission systems have been done for the internal consumption of generated electricity and promotion of bilateral and regional electricity trade.
