Contractor agrees to expedite Chilime-Trishuli transmission line work

Published On: March 10, 2020 10:38 AM NPT By: Republica | @RepublicaNepal

KATHMANDU, March 10: The contractor of Chilime-Trishuli 220 kV Transmission Line Project has agreed to expedite works by adding workers.

The new development came after a discussion between Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), project office, contractor and the consultant company in Nuwakot.

The project is key to evacuate electricity generated by different projects in the Trishuli corridor.

A team of NEA led by its managing director, Kulman Ghising, is on a field visit of different projects in Trishuli corridor. NEA took the initiative as there is a risk of energy to be generated by Rasuwagadhi (111 MW), Sanjen (42.5 MW) and Upper Sanjen (14.8 MW) hydropower projects going to waste due to delay in construction of the transmission line.

All these projects are scheduled to be completed by FY2019/20.

According to the agreement, the contractor company has agreed to deploy 400 workers for the transmission line, 130 for Chilime and 250 for Trishuli 3B Hub Substation.

Stating that the transmission line is a sensitive issue, Ghising asked the contractor to complete the project at the earliest possible. "The construction of three hydropower projects is at the final stage. But looking at the current pace of work, it will take some more time for the transmission line and the substation," Ghising said. "You have two options, either expedite the construction work or give up," he told the representative of the contractor.

Of the 78 towers of the transmission line, the contractor has prepared foundations for eight, while work on a foundation of 40 towers is going on. "Towers and conductors are being imported from India," Bikram Shah, chief of the project, said in the meeting.

The transmission line have double circuits in 19-kilometer section from Chilime to Mailung, and four circuits in the 8-kilometer section from Mailung to Trishuli 3B Hub.

According to the contract document, the project had to be completed by February 29, 2020.

The contractor has requested the project office for an extension of deadline till August, 2020.

The transmission line and substations are being constructed to connect to evacuate 600 MW of energy to be generated in the Trishuli basin. The project is being built with investments from Government of Nepal, NEA and concessional loan from German Development Bank and Europe Investment Bank.