Nepal got an additional 3,118 km stretch of transmission lines in the past nine years.
According to the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), there were a total of 5,742 circuit km of the transmission line being operated in the country as of the fiscal year 2022/23. The capacity of the grid substation has gone up to 8,867 MVA.
As of the fiscal year 2014/15, the capacity of the country’s substation was only 2,132 MVA. Over the period, the capacity of substations has increased by 6,735 MVA. Likewise, the capacity of transmission lines also upgraded from 66 KV and 132 KV to 220 KV and 400 KV.
Kulman Ghising, the managing director of the NEA, said they are working on improving and strengthening the transmission lines to address the issues of ongoing power outages. He added that the installation of transmission lines could have been expedited if the NEA had not encountered challenges related to tree clearance and land acquisition.
According to the NEA, a total of 2,852 circuit km transmission lines are under construction. Of them, 1,111 circuit km are of 132 KV, while 988 circuit km and 754 circuit km are of 220 KV and 400 KV capacities, respectively.
Similarly, the NEA has proposed taking forward the construction of 6,751 circuit km transmission lines. Of them, 1,141 circuit km will be of 132 KV, 1,752 circuit km will be of 220 KV and 3,858 circuit km will be of 400 KV.
Likewise, the NEA has been constructing substations totaling a capacity of 10,469 MVA. In addition, substations cumulative of 15,564 MVA have been proposed.
