Tardy tender process delaying cross-border transmission line

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    wpid-powerlines.jpegKATHMANDU: Three weeks have passed since the technical proposals, the first of the two proposals, of eight bidders for cross-border transmission line were opened, however, Power Transmission Company Nepal (PTCN) has delayed their evaluation.

    This has further delayed opening of the financial proposal.

    The lowest bidder will be awarded the project after the financial proposal is opened. The technical documents were opened on June 4. It was then said that it would not take more than a week to evaluate them and open the financial proposals.

    Representative of Nepal Electricity Authority for PTCN Badri Narayan Sah informed that evaluation of the technical proposals was being delayed.

    The project has to be completed within 16 months on a stretch of 40 km in parts of Nepal, as part of the 129 Km project.

    Sah, however, declined to give a fixed time for awarding the Rs 1.5 billion project.

    Completion of the project 16 months after work starts will ease the power transmission bottleneck between the neighbouring countries, which have opposite seasonal patterns of energy consumption. It will also pave the way for reciprocal exchange of power.

    Energy consumption in India is high during summer and Nepal can supply surplus energy with the high water discharge during the rainy season, whereas Nepal’s high energy demand during the dry months can be fulfiled through power supply from India.

    Exim Bank of India is the main investor for PTCN. Likewise India’s Cross-Border Tower Transmission Company (CPTC) Limited has already started the tender awarding process for construction of the 89-km stretch of the transmission line on the Indian side.

    PTCN and CPTC plan to complete the project in 16 months after the tender is awarded.

    Source : The Himalayan Times