Test transmission began from Saturday: NEA

KATHMANDU, May 6: Second phase of Kabeli Corridor Transmission Line Project has been completed. Test transmission of the transmission line began from Saturday itself, according to Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA).

The 42.88-kilometer section of the 132 kV transmission line, which stretches between Phidim of Panchthar and Soyak of Ilam, connects power generated in the Kabeli corridor to the national grid. There are 126 pylons in the transmission line.

The project was scheduled to be completed by FY2012/13. It faced various hurdles form locals. First the locals demanded 100 percent compensation for land on right of way of the project. They also piled pressure on the project authority to change the route of transmission line. The hurdles were removed after NEA's Managing Director Kumlan Ghising himself stepped in and pacified the locals.

"The project had turned sick due to hurdles of locals and delay in getting permission to cut down trees on the right of way. However, local administration and representative of local bodies helped us to find a way out," said Ghising,

The completion of the transmission line means energy produced by independent power producers in the region will no more go to waste. NEA had to make some temporary arrangement to connect power generated by some producers in the region to the national grid due to delay in transmission line construction.

According to NEA officials, the transmission line is crucial to general power from hydropower projects located on Kabeli, Hewa, Mai rivers. NEA plans to complete works of the third phase -- laying cables from Phidim to Amarpur -- by Mid-July.

The total length of the transmission line is 91 kilometers. It spans from Amarpur of Terhathum district to Lakhanpur of Jhapa. The first phase of the transmission line -- Lakhanpur-Godak section of 35 km kilometers -- came into operation in October 2015. All the four substations on the transmission line --

Damak, Godak, Thapatar (Phidim) and Amarpur have already come into operation.

NEA had to make temporary arrangement to evacuate power generated by Hewakhola A Hydropower Project (14.9 MW) due to delay in completion of the transmission line. Similarly, power generated by Lower Hewakhola (22.1 MW), which is on the last leg of construction, can now be directly connected to the transmission line.

Project manager Dipendra Raj Dwivedi told Republica that works to install pylons in the third phase, or the remaining 13.33 kilometer stretch, are nearing completion. "We have already fitted cables on the towers in the 7-kilometer stretch. We are hopeful of completing all works by mid-July," added Dwivedi.

According to project officials, power generated by under-construction projects on rivers can be connected to the national grid upon completion of the third phase of the project.

 
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