The development of high-capacity transmission lines has received significant attention from the government in order to meet the increased demand for electricity. The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has previously said that a 132 KV transmission line distribution line will be constructed; therefore, The Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation has announced that 23 transmission lines with a capacity of 400 kV are now being studied at various stages.
To facilitate the interchange of energy between Nepal and India, a number of projects have been put forward to connect the north-south corridor within the country with the cross-border transmission line. Furthermore, according to the ministry, all of the required preparations have been made for the building of high-capacity projects for the transmission of power from east to west. Similarly, the Department of Power Development, which is under the Ministry, has expressed support for the application for the building of a 400 KV transmission line while reviewing the application.
The National Electricity Administration, the National Transmission Grid Company, and the private sector have all suggested the construction of high-capacity transmission lines. The Transmission Grid Company is looking into the possibility of building a 400 KV transmission line along the Indo-Nepal border. In the border region of Kailali, on the Nepal-India border, a total of 27 kilometers of transmission line will be built. The transmission line will be capable of carrying 2,500 megawatts of electricity.
In a similar vein, the same company is investigating the feasibility of constructing a 35-kilometer-long 400-kilovolt transmission line in the Arun Corridor. The transmission line will be capable of transmitting 2,260 megawatts (MW). The development of a 75-kilometer transmission line between Nalgad and Mantada in the Bheri corridor is being studied by the state-owned enterprise. The transmission line can carry a total of 2,400 megawatts of electricity.
SC Power Company is investigating the feasibility of constructing a high-capacity transmission line from Chinchu to Butwal that would span 216 kilometers. The transmission line will have an installed capacity of 860 MW of power. The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) plans to build a 91-kilometer-long 400-kilovolt transmission line to facilitate the flow of electricity from the Dudhkoshi reservoir. 600 megawatts (MW) of power will be generated by the transmission line.
The final step of the feasibility study for the proposed 80-kilometer-long Ratamate-Rasuwagadhi 400-kilovolt-hour transmission line, which would link Nepal’s transmission system with that of its northern neighbors, has been completed. According to the project, the last stage has been reached in the research of the transmission line, which is deemed critical for the flow of power between Nepal and China.
The National Electricity Authority (NEA) is now reviewing a proposal for the building of an 85-kilometer-long high-capacity transmission line in the Budhigandaki corridor. This study is looking into the feasibility of a 155-kilometer high-capacity transmission line from Tingla Hub to Dhalkebar, Damauli, Kushma Burtibang and Rukum’s Bafikot. All of these transmission lines will be capable of transmitting power at a rate of 2,500 megawatts (MW).
Other transmission line projects under consideration by the NEA include the New Butwal-Kohalpur 150-kilometer line and the Dodhara-Daiji 93-kilometer line. These projects will transport a total of 1,933 megawatts of power.
The construction of 400 KV transmission lines between Phukot Karnali and Kimathangka Arun has been suggested by the state-owned power producing business. The development of a transmission line from the Upper Arun Power House, which would be 6.5 kilometers long, is also being considered.
The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) is performing the essential technical studies for the construction of a 94-kilometer transmission line from Lamahi to Chinchu, a 130-kilometer transmission line from Sitalpati to Inaruwa, and a 115-kilometer transmission line from Arun Hub to Dudhkoshi. Up to 4,400 megawatts (MW) of power will be transmitted across these transmission lines.
The National Transmission Grid Company plans to construct a 72-kilometer high-capacity transmission line between Bajhang West Seti and West Seti-Dodhara, which will run for 155 kilometers in total. These initiatives are also in varying phases of development.
According to Kulman Ghising, Executive Director of the National Electricity Authority, the building of a high-capacity transmission line along the North-South route has been strategically advanced.
The building of a 312 km long transmission line from Kathmandu’s Nanglebhare to Butwal, via Nuwakot Ratmate, has proven to be a difficult undertaking. The initiative will be supported by the United States. The initiative, which is being carried out with the assistance of MCC, finds itself in a difficult political situation.
Others are still in the early stages of development, while others are nearing completion of high-capacity transmission line studies. The construction of a transmission line in Nepal is a monumental undertaking in and of itself. According to Ghising, executive director of the National Electricity Administration, constructing one tower for each transmission line is equivalent to completing one project.
Projects in Nepal, particularly in the forest area, are bogged down in a web of land use issues, government and private land acquisition issues, technical issues, and other local issues. Projects that have been in the works for a long time are beginning to show signs of illness. It has been a long time since there has been a difficulty with land acquisition in the Kathmandu Valley itself.
The constant increase in the price of petroleum products on the international market has had an impact on Nepal as well. Building large- to medium-sized transmission lines to transport electricity generated in the country is also required. However, the magnitude of the situation prevents it from being stated.
Because of a lack of government assistance, according to Krishna Prasad Acharya, president of the Independent Power Producers’ Association of Nepal (IPPAN), transmission line projects in Nepal are encountering one problem after another, he says.
The project could not be completed on time due to the need to attend various seven ministries and 23 departments. The projects being constructed by NEA are in trouble. Even though the construction of the hydropower project has been completed and electricity has been generated, it is being wasted due to lack of transmission line. The situation is similar in Gajryang-Khimti of Ramechhap.
After a long effort, the construction process of Solu Corridor transmission line has finally moved forward. However, NEA says that there is a problem in sending electricity from East to West Nepal as two towers could not be constructed in Bharatpur-Bardaghat section.
Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Energy Madhu Prasad Bhetuwal says that efforts are being made to address the complexities in the construction of the transmission line. The energy entrepreneurs demand that the government should take a quick decision to remove the complexities seen in the construction of the much-needed transmission line.
