KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 18
Sunwal substation of 132 kV capacity, construction of which was started three years ago in Sunwal municipality-7 of Nawalparasi (Bardghat Susta West), has finally come into operation.
The substation will supply sufficient, reliable and quality electricity via East- West 132 kV transmission line to the steel, cement and other industries and local residents of Parasi area.
Managing Director of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Kulman Ghising said that Sunwal substation will be a game changer in power supply to large industries like cement, steel and local consumers in Parasi region.
" When power was being supplied from Butwal substation through long and low capacity 33 kV line, we had been receiving complaints from the consumers of Sunwal and Parasi areas such as insufficient electricity supply, voltage problems, and frequent tripping," Ghising said.
"With the Sunwal substation coming into operation, the pressure on Butwal substation has eased, and the electricity supply in Sunwal and Parasi areas has become smooth and the technical leakage also minimised," he added.
The new substation has two power transformers of 132-33 kV, 63 MV and one power transformer of 132- 11 kV, 22.5 MV.
Out of the seven feeders of 33 kV line that are taken out from the substation for local power supply, three feeders have been brought into operation.
Navraj Ojha, director of Lumbini regional office of the authority, informed that the electricity was supplied to Sarbottam Cement Ltd and Parasi market area, Palpa Cement and Shitalnagar substation of Rupandehi and Laxmi Steel from the three feeders.
At present, about 20 megawatts of electricity is being supplied to that area from Sunwal substation, Ojha further said, adding that the remaining four feeders of 33 kV going towards Parasi and four feeders of 11 kV for power supply around the substation are under construction.
Sunwal substation has been constructed with a budget of around Rs 690 million received through the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supply for the management of electricity supply in the industrial corridor.
The contract agreement with Energy Pac and Sigma Con JV for the construction of the substation was signed in 2019.
Meanwhile, the authority has advanced the construction of Sunwal-Hakui 132 kV double circuit transmission line for reliable and quality power supply to address the increasing demand for electricity in the Bhairahawa Industrial Corridor of Parasi and Rupandehi.
A version of this article appears in the print on December 19, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
