KATHMANDU, JULY 10

The Hetauda-Bharatpur 220 kV transmission line has come into operation.

The Nepal Electricity Authority has immediately put into operation a 73-kilometre long single circuit of the double-circuit 220 kV transmission line by charging it at 132 kV.

The 220 kV transmission line, stretching from the old Hetauda substation in Chowkitol, Hetauda sub-metropolitan city of Makwanpur, to the new Bharatpur substation in Amptari, Bharatpur metropolitan city of Chitwan, has been charged at 132 kV.

Following the operationalisation of the Hetauda-Bharatpur section of the transmission line, approximately 170 MW of electricity can now be suppliedfrom Hetauda to Bharatpur and vice versa.

With the commissioning of the Hetaunda-Bharatpur section, the flow of electricity from the old 132 kV transmission line, which was previously limited to about 90 megawatts, will now experience a significant improvement.

The initiation of the Hetauda-Bharatpur-Bardghat transmission line project aims to strengthen and enhance the reliability of domestic transmission network in Nepal. Additionally, it aims to facilitate the supply of electricity to upcoming hydropower projects in the western region.

The project commenced in 2008 with investments from the Nepal government and NEA, along with a concessional loan from the World Bank. It was divided into two sections, namely Hetaunda-Bharatpur and Bharatpur-Bardghat, to facilitate efficient implementation and management.

The construction of the project faced various challenges, including local obstacles in the transmission line construction, issues related to land acquisition, delays in obtaining forest area land use permits and tree cutting, as well as subpar performance by the contractor firm. Following World Bank's withdrawal from the project in October 2019, the remaining work was continued through investments made by government and relevant authorities.

Two towers, each with a 220 kV four-circuit (multi-circuit) transmission line, are being constructed at the under-construction substation in Thana Bharyang, Ward 11, Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City. The project's Chief Santosh Sah, revealed that the aforementioned work is scheduled to be completed by the month of August.

In February 2009, the Nepal Electricity Authority signed a contract with the Indian company Icom Tel for the construction of the Hetaunda-Bharatpur section.

However, due to project's significant strategic importance, when the company halted the work on the transmission line, the authority terminated the contract and seized the $3.57 million that the company had deposited as a performance guarantee.

Previously, the authority had made the decision to levy a penalty of around $1.6 million for the delayed work Subsequently, a new tender was announced, and a renewed contract was successfully finalised in 2020.

A version of this article appears in the print on July 11, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.