Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has directed to complete the construction of 220/132 kV substation under construction at Bahrabise in Sindhupalchowk immediately.

The high-level officials of NEA have instructed to complete the construction of the substation to connect electricity of the 102-megawatt Madhya Bhotekoshi hydroelectric project constructed under the leadership of Chilime Hydropower Project in Sindhupalchowk district.

A high-level team of the Authority, including Managing Director Kul Man Ghising visited the substation construction site on Thursday and instructed them to complete the remaining works immediately.

The team held discussions with the project management and contractor’s officials the problems encountered in the construction, the condition of equipment supply, and the construction completion schedule, said the NEA.

The construction of the substation is scheduled to be completed within mid-January 2024.

Ghising said that the contractors have improved their performance of late and achieved good progress in substation construction.

He instructed to speed up the connection work by adding more workers when all the equipment to be installed in the substation have been supplied and some connections have been made.

“Madhya Bhotekoshi has reached the stage of starting electricity generation, the construction of the substation should be completed before the beginning of electricity generation from the project,” he said.

“The Madhya Bhotekoshi, which is near the Kathmandu Valley, will help a lot to meet the demand for electricity during this year’s dry season, so let’s get serious about substation construction and connect the project’s electricity as soon as possible, we are ready to provide necessary support and facilitation from our side.”

The construction of the substation has been delayed due to the poor performance of the joint venture of the Chinese companies Guangxi Transmission and Substation Construction and Shenzhen Claw Electronics, which have been awarded the contract for the construction of the Bahrabise substations.

The NEA has been warned that if the construction of the substation is not completed and the electricity of Madhya Bhotekoshi cannot be connected, the compensation will be paid by the contractor’s company.

The power transformers to be placed in the substation have been connected. Power transformers of 220/132 kV, 160 MVA and 132/11 kV, 5 MVA are placed in the substation.

The substation equipment based on Gas Insulated System (GIS) technology is being installed. All the equipment in the control room has been supplied to the construction site, but the connection remains, said the NEA.

Finishing work on the civil side is left. The overall progress of construction of 220-132 kV substation is about 90 per cent. Another 400 kV substation is also under construction in Bahrabise.

The team also inspected the Madhya Bhoteshi hydropower project. The final phase construction works of the project are going on, targeting completion by mid-January 2024.

The electricity generated from Madhya Bhotekoshi will be connected to Bahrabise substation through 220 kV transmission line.

The project has already constructed towers of 220 kV single-circuit transmission line from the switchyard of its power plant to Bahrabise substation. About 2 km of transmission line wire has been extended.