Completion of 220/132 kV Substation in Bahrabise Boosts Hydropower Transmission Capacity

KATHMANDU: A new 220/132 kilovolt (kV) substation has been completed in Bahrabise Municipality, Sindhupalchowk, enhancing the region’s capacity to transmit electricity. The Bahrabise Substation is equipped with 220/132 kV, 1160 MVA, and 132/11 kV, 5 MVA power transformers, utilizing Gas Insulated System (GIS) technology, which has successfully passed testing, according to the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA).

The substation’s construction marks a significant milestone as it will connect the 102 MW Madhya Bhotekoshi Hydropower Project, led by Chilime Hydropower Company, a subsidiary of NEA. Once operational, the Bahrabise substation will be energized using electricity from this project.

Currently, the tunnel for the Madhya Bhotekoshi Hydropower Project is undergoing repairs after a leakage was detected during initial testing. NEA aims to complete the tunnel repairs by the second week of August.

On Saturday, Kulman Ghising, the Executive Director of NEA, monitored the repair work of the substation, transmission line, and tunnel. He urged the project management and construction teams to complete the work ahead of schedule. Ghising confirmed that with the Bahrabise substation now completed, there are no transmission issues for the electricity generated from Madhya Bhotekoshi.

To manage the electricity flow from Madhya Bhotekoshi temporarily, the 220 kV transmission line will deliver power to the Bahrabise substation, where it will be stepped down to 132 kV and transmitted through a 132 kV line.

The 132 kV single circuit transmission line, built by Shiva Shree Hydropower for the 22 MW Upper Chaku project, will be converted into a double circuit line extending to the Bahrabise substation.

In addition, the Tamakoshi-Kathmandu 220-400 kV transmission line project includes constructing a 43 km transmission line from the New Khimti substation in Ramechhap to Bahrabise.

Of the 118 towers planned, only two remain incomplete, one of which faces local resistance near the New Khimti substation. Local landowners demanding full compensation for their land have delayed laying 1.3 km of the transmission line wire. However, 34 km of the wire has already been laid.

Simultaneously, a 46 km 400 kV double circuit transmission line from Bahrabise to Lapsiphedi in Kathmandu is nearing completion. Out of 122 towers, only five remain unfinished due to local opposition in Lapsiphedi.

Project head Nitesh Poudel reported that compensation for land acquisition for these towers is being processed, and local resistance has been resolved. Wire installation is complete for 42 km of the line, with work pending only in previously blocked areas.

The Tamakoshi-Kathmandu transmission line and substations are vital for integrating electricity from hydropower projects on the Tamakoshi and Sunkoshi rivers and their tributaries into the national grid. This project is financed by the Nepal government, NEA, and a concessional loan from the Asian Development Bank.