KATHMANDU, Oct 31: The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) is going to further expand and strengthen the transmission and distribution system in order to increase the consumption of the electricity produced within the country. The authority will expand more transmission infrastructure to export surplus electricity to India and Bangladesh.
According to a press statement issued by NEA, targeting Sunsari, Morang and Jhapa districts in Province 1, which have the potential to increase electricity consumption, the authority will build high-capacity electricity transmission and distribution line infrastructure. In addition, more transmission line infrastructure will be built for power export and transmission to India and Bangladesh.
The NEA is running a campaign to strengthen the transmission and distribution system and expand the infrastructure with short-term and long-term plans to increase domestic consumption of electricity produced in the country. There is a program of the authority to upgrade the existing infrastructures.
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A high-level team including Managing Director of the NEA, Kulman Ghising, Deputy Managing Director of Distribution and Customer Service Directorate Manoj Silwal, Deputy Managing Director of Broadcasting Directorate Dirghayu Kumar Shrestha visited Sunsari, Morang and Jhapa on Saturday and Sunday and took information on the infrastructure needed to increase electricity consumption and export.
The team carried out on-site studies to identify the possibility of constructing an inland power transmission line between the Indian state of West Bengal, the shortest route for power export to Bangladesh, and suitable locations for the construction of transmission lines and substations. The team also conducted an on-site study and got information about the electricity transmission and distribution infrastructures under construction and currently in operation in Sunsari, Morang and Jhapa.
NEA Managing Director Kulman Ghising said that they are going to expand the transmission and distribution infrastructure to make the electricity supply reliable and trustworthy and to target the places where there is a possibility of settlement expansion and establishment of industrial corridors.
In the long term, it is seen that India's Siliguri, Purnia and Kishanganj points will be closer to India and Bangladesh for electricity export, therefore, it is necessary to expand the transmission network by constructing a 400 kV transmission line from the 400 kV Inaruwa substation around the Postal highway and constructing a 400 kV substation in the Anarmani area of Jhapa. Executive Director Ghising said. "This line is essential, it will make the electricity supply reliable and reliable in that area and the consumption will increase and more transmission networks will be prepared for the export of electricity to India and Bangladesh."
The team led by Ghising visited Siliguri Substation 400-220 kV Binnaguri of Power Grid India in West Bengal and got information about electricity import and export. Electricity produced by Bhutan's Tala Hydroelectric Project is connected to the substation.
Under the authority's short-term plan to increase consumption, it is planned to provide electricity to the industries that have demanded electricity by strengthening and expanding the capacity of transmission and distribution lines and to complete the work of the projects under construction as soon as possible. As part of the long-term plan, large capacity lines and substations will be constructed to identify potential places where electricity consumption may increase and to export the electricity that is consumed internally.
The authority's high-level team discussed with project management and construction professionals about the construction progress of substations under construction at Gwaldubba in Jhapa, Keroun in Morang, Inaruwa in Sunsari and Kushaha. The team requested that the substations be completed as soon as possible as they are important for reliable and reliable power supply.
