The construction of the New Butwal-Bardaghat 220 kV double-circuit transmission line has been successfully completed, marking a significant advancement in Nepal’s electricity transmission infrastructure. This project is designed to strengthen the country’s power grid, support upcoming hydropower projects in the western region, and promote bilateral and regional electricity trade with India.
The 21.5 km transmission line runs from the New Butwal substation, located in Suryabasti, Sunwal Municipality-13, Nawalparasi (Bardaghat Susta Paschim), to Bardaghat Municipality-5. It has been operational since Thursday. Additionally, the 220 kV transmission line connecting New Bharatpur Substation to New Butwal in Amptari, Bharatpur Metropolitan City-11, Chitwan, has been successfully charged, creating a vital infrastructure network from New Butwal to Hetauda. This network is capable of transmitting approximately 1,200 megawatts of electricity.
The Kaligandaki Corridor, extending from Dana in Myagdi to the New Butwal substation, integrates hydropower generated in the Kaligandaki basin into the national grid. This is complemented by the 220 kV transmission lines connecting New Butwal, New Bharatpur, and Hetauda, enhancing system reliability and ensuring effective energy distribution.
Kulman Ghising, Managing Director of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), emphasized the project’s transformative impact on the power grid, stating that the 220 kV backbone from Bharatpur will facilitate electricity flow across the East-West corridor, improve voltage stability, and enhance overall system reliability. The infrastructure will also simplify electricity exports to India during the monsoon and imports during winter shortages.
Ghising further highlighted that the electricity generated from hydropower projects along the Kali Gandaki and Marsyangdi rivers, as well as their tributaries, can now be efficiently absorbed into the national grid. The new Bharatpur substation will manage power transmission from Marsyangdi to Hetauda and New Butwal. This development is closely linked to the ongoing construction of the 400 kV New Butwal-Gorakhpur cross-border transmission line, which will expand opportunities for international energy trade.
The project, with an estimated cost of Rs 1 billion, was funded through investments from the Government of Nepal and NEA, supplemented by a concessional loan from the Asian Development Bank. A multi-circuit tower spanning 4.5 km has also been constructed from Badera, Sunwal Municipality-13, to the New Butwal substation, connecting the Kaligandaki Corridor to this transmission network.
Despite challenges such as delays in land-use approvals, forest-related tree-cutting permits, environmental impact assessments in the Chure region, and disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the project was successfully completed. Power China SEPCO was contracted in January 2020 to construct the transmission line, with the agreement finalized in mid-2020.
This initiative represents a significant step toward enhancing Nepal’s internal transmission and distribution capacity, enabling the efficient utilization of domestically produced electricity, and fostering greater bilateral and regional energy trade.
