Capacity increase of new Khimti 220 KV substation, no wastage of electricity, increase in export volume.

Capacity of New Khimti 220 KV Substation Kathmandu, 27 Sep 2023. Nepal Electricity Authority has increased the capacity of 220 KV new Khimti substation located in Manthali municipality-13 Sankhe (Fulasi) of Ramechhap district.

In the 220-132 KV substation, there is only a power transformer of 100 MVA capacity, and an auto transformer of 200 MVA has been added. The added transformer was charged and put into operation on Tuesday. Growth, no wastage of electricity, export volume will increase. Along with this, the capacity of 200-132 KV substations has increased to 300 MVA. The capacity of the substation has been increased under the Ramechhap (Gajryang)-New Khimti transmission line project with the investment of the Government of Nepal and the authority.

The electricity from the 132 KV transmission line will be increased to 220 KV from the transformer installed in Khimti and will be transmitted to DhalKebar through the Khimti-Dhal Kebar 220 KV transmission line. A new transformer was added after the capacity of the power transformer placed in the new Khimti substation was not enough for the electricity coming from the 132 KV transmission line.

The capacity of the substation was insufficient when the electricity generated from the hydropower projects constructed and planned in the Tamakoshi, Khimti and Likhu river watersheds was absorbed into the new Khimti through the 132 kV transmission line. Due to this, the electricity of some of the hydroelectric projects built mainly on the Likhu River was not being able to flow completely.

Kulman Ghising, the managing director of the authority, said that with the commissioning of the new transformers installed at the new Khimti substation, the problem of electricity flow faced by the hydropower projects operating in the Likhu river corridor has been solved. After the capacity of the new Khimti substation was not met, arrangements were made to connect the electricity of some hydropower projects built in the Likhu corridor under a short-term plan.

Managing Director Ghising said, “With the commissioning of the new transformer, all the problems have been solved, the situation where electricity cannot flow due to lack of infrastructure has come to an end, there will be no problem even if new projects are coming, now the amount of electricity export to India will also increase.”

Anup Gautam, the head of the project, said that the electricity produced by the hydropower projects built in the Tamakoshi, Khimti and Likhu river basins has been arranged for local supply by creating a new infrastructure at the new Khimti substation. Chief Gautam mentioned that after starting to provide electricity from the substation, the consumers got sufficient, reliable and quality supply.

The remaining electricity supplied locally has been transmitted to Dhalkebar in Dhanush through 220 KV transmission line and to Lamosanghu substation in Sindhupalchok through 132 KV line.

The new 220 kV Khimti substation was built by the Upper Tamakosi Hydropower Project. The project had only 100 mV power transformer. The 132÷33÷11 KV substation built locally for power supply has been operational since last June.

Construction of 132-33 KV substation infrastructure in Naya Khimti was started in financial year 2019-20. The cost of the substation is around Rs 80 crore ( 800 million).