KATHMANDU, Feb 21: The construction of the 400 kV Lapsiphedi substation, underway in Bojini, Shankharapur Municipality-3, has reached around 40 percent completion. The substation under construction on about 21.6 acres of land, will be the largest hub for electricity supply in the Kathmandu Valley after completion.
The substation based on the 'Gas Insulated Substation (GIS)' technology of 400/220, 220/132 and 132/11 kV levels is under construction to bring electricity from the hydroelectric projects built and to be built on the Tamakoshi and Sunkoshi rivers and their tributaries to the Kathmandu Valley and to supply it locally. The construction of the substation is being carried out with the aim of completing it by December 2025.
Under the Khimti-Bahrabise-Lapsiphedi Substation Project, about 40 percent of the construction works for the civil structures including the control room and GIS equipment building of the 400/220 kV Lapsiphedi substation has been completed. The supply of all equipment including power transformers, GIS, control panels and other equipment in the substation has been completed by about 80 percent. Khimti and Bahrabise substations under the project are also under construction.
The construction of civil structures of 220/132 and 132/11 kV substations under the Tamakoshi-Kathmandu Transmission Line Project is 50 percent complete. Around 98 percent of equipment supply for the project has been completed. After the construction of civil structures is completed, equipment installation in the substation will begin.
Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Managing Director Kulman Ghising, while monitoring the substation construction site on Wednesday, directed the project management and construction entrepreneurs to increase manpower and complete the work within the stipulated time.
NEA targets to complete construction of Inaruwa Substation by D...
“There was some delay in the construction of the substation due to local problems, but the construction progress so far is satisfactory,” said MD Ghising, “We are addressing and will continue to address the legitimate demands of the locals regarding road repair and expansion, drinking water scheme, school building, construction of playgrounds and monasteries, employment for locals, etc, under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) during the project construction.”
Despite local problems, the construction of the substation, which began about a year ago, is currently in full swing. The construction of the substation had been obstructed for a long time by some locals who claimed that the substation should not be built near a human settlement and that it should be moved to another place.
During the acquisition of the land for the substation construction site, the concerned landowners had willingly received compensation and indemnity, and after completing all legal procedures including the Initial Environmental Assessment (IE) and Supplementary IE, Bojini was selected as the best option among the available options. The substation is being constructed by addressing the legitimate demands raised by the locals.
Under the Tamakoshi-Kathmandu 220/400 KV transmission line project, the 400 kV transmission line from the new Khimti substation in Ramechhap to the Lapsiphedi substation in Kathmandu via Barhabise in Sindhupalchowk will be connected. All the towers in the Khimti-Barhabise section have been erected under the transmission line project. Only about three kilometers of wire are left to be laid.
Similarly, out of 122 towers in the Barhabise-Lapsiphedi line section, only two are left to be constructed. The said towers are in the Lapsiphedi area. About 42 kilometers of wire have been laid. Project Chief Nitish Poudel said that the construction of the Tamakoshi-Kathmandu transmission line is underway with the aim of completing it by next April. The construction of a 220 kV substation in Bahrabise has already been completed under the project.
After the construction of the 400 kV transmission line to be built by the US aid project Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), electricity can be transmitted from Lapsiphedi to Ratamate in Nuwakot and to the new Butwal substation in Sunwal Municipality of Nawalparasi (Bardaghat Susta West).
The substations and transmission line are being constructed with investment from the Government of Nepal and the Electricity Authority of Nepal and a concessional loan provided through the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) 'Electricity Transmission Expansion and System Improvement Project'.
Lapsiphedi-Changunarayan construction still facing obstacles
The construction of the Lapsiphedi-Changunarayan 132 kV transmission line for electricity supply in the Kathmandu Valley has not been completed yet. Construction has been affected for about seven years due to obstruction by the landowners of the transmission line right-of-way. Due to this, the construction of the transmission line has not been able to start.
The construction of the Changunarayan 132 kV substation under the project has been completed. However, due to lack of resources for electricity supply, the Changunarayan substation has not been able to come into operation. After the electricity supply from the said substation starts, the supply to the eastern part of Kathmandu will be reliable and of high quality. Currently, electricity is being supplied to the area from the Chabahil substation.
