The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has directed its subsidiary, Chilime Hydropower Limited, to complete the construction of the 102-megawatt Middle Bhotekoshi Hydropower Project in Sindhupalchowk and the Khimti-Bahrabise transmission line within a month.
While testing structures and equipment for electricity generation, workers discovered water leakage in the project’s tunnel. Repair and improvement work on the leakage is progressing rapidly. The project, which generates up to 40 megawatts during winter, plays a crucial role in managing seasonal electricity demand, prompting NEA to ensure its timely operation.
A monitoring team led by NEA Managing Director Kulman Ghising, along with Chilime Hydropower Company’s CEO and Middle Bhotekoshi Hydropower Project Chairman Subhash Kumar Mishra, visited the transmission line and substation on Saturday to assess progress and gather construction updates.
The 400 kV transmission line from the Tamakoshi-Kathmandu corridor, designed to carry Middle Bhotekoshi’s electricity, is in its final phase. The Khimti-Bahrabise section has all towers erected, with only about one kilometer of wiring left to complete. Authorities plan to initially charge the line at 200 kV to integrate the hydropower project’s electricity into the national grid, with work underway at the Khimti and Bahrabise substations for this transition.
During an on-site inspection in Sindhupalchowk, Managing Director Ghising emphasized the importance of both the hydropower project and transmission line in ensuring stable winter electricity supply. He urged project managers and contractors to accelerate construction and coordinate efforts to meet the deadline.
Additionally, a 220 kV transmission line now connects Bahrabise Municipality-3 to the Middle Bhotekoshi switchyard in Bahrabise Municipality-5. The nearly completed Tamakoshi-Kathmandu transmission line will facilitate power distribution from hydropower projects on the Tamakoshi and Sun Koshi rivers. Only two of the 122 towers in the Bahrabise-Lapsiphedi section remain unfinished, with the 220 kV Bahrabise substation already completed.
