KATHMANDU, Feb 6: A proposal to build New Butwal-Gorkahpur Cross Border Transmission Line is likely get approval from the upcoming meetings of Nepal-India Joint Working Group (JWG) and Joint Steering Committee (JSC). But the development modality will be different from the Dhalkebar Muzaffarpur Transmission Line of 400 KVA, government officials say.
The transmission line will be separately built by both the governments in their respective territories, unlike the Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur Transmission Line which was built by private companies.
Officials of the Ministry of Energy say they won't accept the Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur modality which was proposed in the last meeting of JWG and JSC held in New Delhi last year. JSC is co-chaired by Energy Secretary of Nepal and Power Secretary of India, while JWG is co-chaired by joint secretaries of Ministry of Energy of Nepal and Ministry of Power of India.
“We want the second cross border transmission line to be built separately by the two countries in their respective territories,” Dinesh Kumar Ghimire, spokesperson of the Ministry of Energy, said.
Ghimire is also the co-chair of JWG.
Work on Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur Transmission Line was started before Nepal and India signed Power Trade Agreement (PTA) in 2014.
Separate companies of Nepal and India, with government entities of both the countries in majority, had built the 140-kilometer Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur Transmission Line.
“This time around, we have proposed to build the second cross border transmission line by the governments themselves. This means, we do not need to look into financial viability of the project,” added Ghimire.
The detailed project report (DPR) of the project has already been prepared. It will be tabled in the JWG and JSC meetings for approval.
Nepal has signed agreement to import 150 MW of electricity from India via Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur Transmission Line for 25 years. Such agreement was signed to make the project viable. NEA has been paying Rs 1.07 billion annually to two companies -- Power Transmission Company Nepal Limited (PTCNL) of Nepal and Cross-Border Power Transmission Company Limited of India.
“Each government will pay transmission charges or wheeling charges while using transmission lines of another country,” Ghimire said.
Test transmission of Khimti-Dhalkebar transmission line begins
JWG, JSC meetings on February 13 and 14
Nepal-India bilateral meeting on power trading is scheduled to be held on February 13 and 14.
The meetings of Joint Working Group (JWG) and Joint Steering Committee (JSC) will be held in Kathmandu. Dinesh Kumar Ghimire, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Energy, confirmed that the date has been finalized.
The committees were formed as part of implementing the Power Trade Agreement that Nepal and India signed in 2014.
