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220 kV Marsyangdi Corridor Transmission Line Project achieves only 65 percent progress despite four deadline extensions

Published On: July 7, 2024 07:32 PM NPT By: Republica

KATHMANDU, July 7: About 65 percent work of the 220 kV  Transmission Line Project along the Marsyangdi Corridor has been completed so far. The project which started in 2018 was supposed to be completed in 2021. However, the construction has not been completed so far. 

The deadline for the completion of the project has been extended four times. As per the latest agreement, the project should be completed by July 2025. But, it hasn’t been confirmed whether the project will meet even this deadline. 

Project Chief Naryan Regmi said that due to the coronavirus pandemic, the project could not be completed on time. Additionally, local’s intervention and geographical challenges also affected the work progress, Regmi said. 

The corridor is being constructed to add 1,600 MW of electricity produced from the Marsyangdi basin and its supporting rivers to the national transmission grid. 

Under the project, Manang-Khudi-Udipur-Markichok-Bharatpur 112 km long 220 kV double circuit transmission line is being constructed. According to Regmi, four sub-stations are being constructed in the corridor so far. Among them, two have been completed and two are in progress. Construction of Manang and Khudi substations is in progress, Regmi said. The work of the Udipur and Bharatpur substations has been completed. 

After the preliminary Environmental Impact Assessment report passed by the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation in 2073 BS, the project’s work of Udipur-Bharatpur was started. European Investment Bank (EIB) and Nepal Electricity Authority  have collaborated for this project. For this project, EIB has provided USD 95 million concessional loan. 

The project has been divided in many sections and the work is being divided into Udipur-Markichok-Bharatpur and Manang-Khudi-Udipur sections. The contract of the Udipur-Markichok-Bharatpur section was awarded to Pinggao in 2018. Likewise, the contract for the transmission line of Manang-Khudi-Udipur sections and sub-stations in Dharapani and Khudi has been obtained by China’s TBEA company. 

In the same way, the construction contract of the Udipur-Aaptare substation was obtained by Larsen and Toubro.