The construction of 220/132 kV substation in Barhabise Municipality of Sindhupalchowk has been completed. There are power transformers of 220/132 kV, 160 MVA and 132/11 kV, 5 MVA in Barhabise substation.

Testing of all the equipment of the substation based on Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS) technology has been completed, according to Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA). Another 400 kV substation is also under construction in Barhabise.

The electricity of the 102-megawatt Madhya Bhotekoshi Hydropower Project built in Sindhupalchowk under the leadership of Chilime Hydropower Company, a subsidiary of Nepal Electricity Authority, will be connected to this substation.

After the production of electricity from the Madhya Bhotekoshi Hydropower Project starts, the Barhabise substation will be charged using the same electricity. After the construction was completed, the tunnel leaked while testing the structures and equipment to start electricity generation from Madhya Bhotekoshi, and the tunnel is currently being repaired. The repairing work is being done with the aim of completing by August this year.

Managing Director of the Authority Kul Man Ghising on Saturday inspected substation, transmission line and repairing the tunnel of Madhya Bhotekoshi and urged the project management and contractors to complete the entire work before the stipulated time.

He said that as the construction of Barhabise substation has been completed, there is no problem to supply the electricity generated from Madhya Bhotekoshi Hydropower Project.

Ghising said, “There was a situation of not being able to connect the electricity to Madhya Bhotekoshi due to the failure to construct the substation. Now that the construction of the 220 kV substation has been completed, various options have been made to connect the electricity to the project.”

The electricity generated from Madhya Bhotekoshi will be connected to Barhabise substation through 220 kV transmission line.

The project has already constructed the towers of 220 kV single circuit transmission line about 4-km long from the switchyard of its power plant to Barhabise substation. The wire has been stretched for 2 km of the same transmission line.

Due to the obstruction of the local residents of Palanti located in Barhabise Municipality-3 and 4, the project is not able to stretch wire in remaining 2 km.

An alternate arrangement has been made temporarily for the electricity flow of Madhya Bhotekoshi. The electricity reaching the Barhabise substation from the 200 kV transmission line will be reduced to 132 kV through the same substation and will be transmitted through the 132 kV transmission line.

For this purpose, the 132 kV single circuit transmission line built by Shiva Shree Hydropower, the promoter company of the 22 MW Upper Chaku ‘A’ Hydropower Project, will be doubled and brought to Barhabise substation.

From the same transmission line, the electricity of Madhya Bhotekoshi will be integrated into the national grid through the Lamosanghu substation.

The temporary alternative arrangement will remain till the completion of Khimti-Barhabise or Barhabise-Kathmandu transmission lines. After the completion of these transmission lines, electricity will transmit through them.

Under the Tamakoshi-Kathmandu 220/400 kV transmission line project, a 43-km transmission line is under construction from New Khimti substation at Ramechhap to Barhabise. Out of the 118 towers on the transmission line, only two are left to be constructed. A tower is not being constructed near the New Khimti substation due to the obstruction of the locals, said the NEA.

In the same area, there is a problem in extending 1.3 km of wire due to the demand of 100 per cent compensation of the land owners in the right of way of the transmission line. Out of 43 km of transmission line, 34 km of wire has been stretched.

Similarly, the construction of 46 km 400 kV double-circuit transmission line from Barhabise to Lapsiphedi in Kathmandu is in the final stage. Out of the 122 towers on the 46-km transmission line, five towers are left to be constructed due to the obstruction of the locals of Lapsiphedi.

Project chief Nitesh Paudel said that now the obstacles of the locals have been removed, the compensation for the acquisition of land for the construction of the tower pad is in the process of determination. Out of 46 km transmission line, 42 km wire has been stretched.

The Tamakoshi-Kathmandu transmission line and substation have been constructed to transmit the electricity of the hydroelectric project of Tamakoshi and Sunkoshi rivers and their tributaries to the national transmission system.

The project has investment from the government and Authority and concessional loan from Asian Development Bank.