STRIKE AFFECTS CONSTRUCTION OF TRANSMISSION LINE

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    The plan of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) to reduce load-shedding coming winter by importing additional 90 MW from India will be affected with the ongoing tarai movement obstructing construction of the Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur 400 KV cross-border transmission line.

    Construction of the 40-kilometer section from Dhalkebar to Bhitthamode has been stopped due to the unrest in tarai. The work was scheduled to be completed in September. The NEA currently is importing up to 180 MW from India. “Work in the 100-kilometer section from Bhitthamode to Muzaffarpur in India has almost been completed. But there is little chance of importing immediately from India as the work on the Nepali side has not been completed. It will be completed in a month after resumption of work. Import can be started soon if the tarai movement were to end soon,” Managing Director (MD) of the NEA Mukesh Raj Kafle said.

    He added that load-shedding can increase as the reservoir of Kulekhani has not been filled completely and the plan to import additional energy from India has also been obstructed. The NEA has already signed a 25-year agreement with the Power Trading Corporation (PTC) of India Limited to import additional electricity from India. The agreement has come into implementation from the current year.

    Booking for exchange of 1200 MW through the 400 KV transmission line has been done. Preparations were made to import 90 MW from the transmission line by converting the 400 KV into 132 KV as the substation has yet to be completed at Dhalkebar. The NEA also plans to import additional electricity from Kussaha-Kataiya 132 KV Transmission Line.

    The NEA aims to import 337 MW from India this year by bringing an additional 100 MW. But there will still be deficit of 600 MW in the system this year, as demand will rise to 1396 MW while supply will reach just 796 MW including that imported from India. The government, meanwhile, has expressed commitment to limit load-shedding to eight hours a day in the current fiscal year even as the NEA has already prepared a report projecting daily load-shedding of seven-13 hours. It had limited load-shedding to 12 hours a day during the last year.

    Source : Karobar Daily