Er.energyNP@Gmail.com

The construction of the Matatirtha–Chobhar section of the Thankot–Chapagaun–Bhaktapur 132 kV Transmission Line Project has been completed, strengthening the electricity supply system in the Kathmandu Valley.

The approximately six-kilometre transmission line connecting the Matatirtha Substation with the Chobhar Substation is scheduled to be charged on Friday, according to the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA).

Once charged, the Matatirtha–Chobhar section will be connected to the national transmission system and electricity will flow through it on a regular basis.

Managing Director of NEA Dirghayu Kumar Shrestha said that the operation of the Matatirtha–Chobhar transmission line and Chobhar Substation would make it easier to maintain a balance between electricity demand and supply in Kathmandu Valley and surrounding areas.

He said that the construction of the approximately 4.5-kilometre 132 kV underground transmission line from Chobhar Substation to Patan was also being taken forward as a high priority.

The NEA had decided on September 24 to charge the Matatirtha–Chobhar transmission line within 15 days to manage the increasing electricity demand in Kathmandu Valley during the coming winter.

As part of the infrastructure required to charge the line, two bays have been constructed at the Chobhar Substation.

The Thankot–Chapagaun–Bhaktapur Transmission Line Project was initiated with the objective of constructing a 132 kV transmission line ring covering Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur to ensure an adequate, safe, reliable and quality electricity supply to Kathmandu Valley.

Construction of the transmission line was affected by local obstructions in Khokana, Bungamati, Harisiddhi and Lamatar areas of Lalitpur, prompting the construction of a 132/11 kV substation at Chobhar as an alternative.

The Chobhar Substation has nine 11 kV feeders for local electricity supply, said the NEA.

The substation will supply electricity to areas, including Kirtipur, Pharping, Pulchowk and Ekantakuna. Its operation is expected to improve voltage and make the electricity supply system more reliable and quality in these areas.

The electricity generated mainly by hydropower projects in the Trishuli and Marsyangdi river basins has been supplied to Kathmandu Valley through the Matatirtha Substation.

The operation of the 132 kV transmission line from Matatirtha Substation to Chobhar Substation will provide an additional alternative route in the electricity supply system of the Valley.

An approximately 4.5-kilometre 132 kV underground transmission line from Chobhar Substation to Lagankhel (Patan) Substation in Lalitpur via the Ring Road is under construction. Work is also under way to upgrade the Patan Substation and operate it at the 132 kV level, said the NEA.

The Thankot–Chapagaun–Bhaktapur 132 kV Transmission Line Project was initiated in fiscal year 1998/99 (2055/56) with investment from the Government of Nepal and the Nepal Electricity Authority.

Construction of the transmission line on the Kathmandu and Bhaktapur sides has already been completed. The section up to Chobhar, which has been completed on the Kathmandu side, is now being prepared for charging.

On the Lalitpur side, construction of the transmission line has not been able to move forward after local residents in Khokana, Bungamati, Harisiddhi and Lamatar obstructed construction, demanding a change in the transmission line route.

As a result, efforts to operate Kathmandu Valley's 132 kV transmission system as a complete ring structure have continued to be affected.