Nepal to import 50 MW each from Raxaul-Parwanipur and Kataiya-Kushaha lines
KATHMANDU, Feb 14: Nepal and India have agreed to bring Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur Transmission Line into use from May.
The cross-border transmission line supports both export and import of electricity.
According to Dinesh Kumar Ghimire, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Energy, the transmission line will be charged into 220 KVA capacity once the construction of a substation being built in Dhalkebar is completed in May.
Though Nepal and India have signed an agreement to import 160 MW, Nepal is importing only 145 MW because the delay in construction of the transmission line. The country expects to import an additional 50 MW once the transmission line is ready for full-fledged use.
The bilateral talks between energy secretaries of both the countries held in Kathmandu on Tuesday decided to charge the line into full capacity of 400 KVA by August 2019. The 4th meeting of Joint Steering Committee co-chaired by Nepal's Energy Secretary Anup Kumar Upadhyaya and India's Power Secretary P K Pujari also decided to increase power supply, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of Energy after Tuesday's meeting. “
"With the infrastructure in place, country's energy supply will be further strengthened in the coming ye”r," informed Prabal Adhikari, the spokesperson for the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), who was present in the meeting.
Likewise, an agreement has been reached to begin electricity import via Raxaul-Parwanipur and Kataiya-Kushaha transmission lines from February 25. The import through the 132 KVA transmission lines will bring 50 MW each to industrial estates in Bara in central region and Sunsari in the eastern region, respectively.
India also proposed to Nepal to use the Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur Transmission Line to export power generated by Arun III (900 MW) until it builds its own transmission line.
However, Nepal rejected the proposal outright, stating that the country needs the line to import power from India.
Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd, an Indian government undertaking, is building the project in Sankhuwasabha district of eastern Nepal.
At the meeting, Nepali officials stressed that SJVNL build its own transmission line as provisioned in the Project Development Agreement (PDA) signed in 2014.
According to sources, delay to acquire forest land for Arun III was also discussed in the meeting. Officials of SJVNL told the meeting that the delay has affected tender process of power house and dam.
The Indian side raised the issue in the meeting as there was a mutual understanding to sort out the issue within two months through a separate joint mechanism to look into management of the projects being implemented by using Indian line of credit.
Likewise, the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of another 400 KVA cross-border transmission line, New Butwal-Gorakhpur Transmission Line, was tabled in the meeting.
But the two sides could not forge consensus on development and financing modality of the project. While India wants to develop the transmission line in the company model similar to the Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur Transmission Line, Nepal has proposed a separate modality of using both the governments to build transmission line in their respective territories and connect it“
"Joint Technical Committee has been entrusted to work out implementation modality as well as financing modality of New Butwal-Gorakhpur Transmission Line," according to the press release.
The JSC meeting endorsed the decision taken by the Joint Working Group, or joint-secretary level meeting which was held in Kathmandu on Monday, according to the release.
Likewise, both the countries have also agreed to exchange views on 'Guidelines on Cross Border Trade of Electricity' endorsed by India in December last year.
Dana-Khurkot transmission line and substation ready
