NEA urges completion of Middle Bhotekoshi and Khimti-Barhabise line in one month

KATHMANDU: The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has issued an urgent directive to complete the construction of the Middle Bhotekoshi Hydropower Project and the Khimti-Barhabise Transmission Line within one month. The 102-megawatt hydropower project, led by NEA’s subsidiary Chilime Hydropower Company Limited in Sindhupalchok, and the associated transmission infrastructure are critical to meeting winter electricity demands.

The Middle Bhotekoshi project faced delays after a tunnel leak was detected during testing of structures and equipment following the filling of water. Repair and improvement work on the leaking tunnel is now underway at a rapid pace. Once operational, the project is expected to generate up to 40 megawatts during the winter months, a significant contribution to managing Nepal’s seasonal power shortages. NEA management has prioritized its swift commissioning due to this pressing need.

On Saturday, a team led by NEA Executive Director Kulman Ghising and Chilime Hydropower Company CEO Subhash Kumar Mishra, who also chairs the Middle Bhotekoshi Hydropower Company’s board, conducted an on-site inspection of the transmission line and substation. The team assessed construction progress and issued instructions to expedite remaining tasks.

The 400-kilovolt (kV) Khimti-Barhabise transmission line, part of the Tamakoshi-Kathmandu Transmission Line Project, is in its final stages. Stretching from the New Khimti Substation in Ramechhap to Barhabise in Sindhupalchok, all towers along this segment have been erected, with only about one kilometer of conductor stringing left. Initially, the line will be charged at 200 kV to integrate Middle Bhotekoshi’s electricity into the national grid. Preparations to install necessary infrastructure at the New Khimti and Barhabise substations for this purpose are already underway.

During the visit, Ghising’s team reviewed ongoing work at the substations and directed project management and contractors to immediately address pending tasks. The team also inspected ongoing conductor stringing in Choktar, Tripurasundari Rural Municipality-2, Sindhupalchok.

Highlighting the urgency, Ghising noted, “Even 40 megawatts plays a vital role in managing winter power demand. These projects are sensitive and essential, which is why I’ve come to the field myself to monitor progress.” He instructed stakeholders to take the construction seriously, coordinate effectively, and accelerate the remaining work.

A four-kilometer 220 kV transmission line connecting the Middle Bhotekoshi powerhouse switchyard in Barhabise Municipality-5 to NEA’s Barhabise Substation in Barhabise Municipality-3 has already been completed. The broader Tamakoshi-Kathmandu transmission line is designed to evacuate power from hydropower projects along the Tamakoshi and Sunkoshi rivers and their tributaries. In the Barhabise-Lapsiphedi segment, only two of the 122 towers remain under construction, while a 220 kV substation in Barhabise has been fully completed.

With winter demand peaking, NEA’s push to operationalize these projects underscores their critical role in bolstering Nepal’s energy security.