The construction of a 220 KV substation at Udipur in Besishahar Municipality of Lamjung has been completed under the Marsyangdi Corridor 220 kV Transmission Line Project, with an investment of around Rs 16 billion. The estimated cost of investment by the Government of Nepal and concessional loans from the European Investment Bank (EIB) is approximately Rs 16 billion.

The Udipur substation, based on the Gas Insulated Substation (GIS) technology, has 220/132 kV, 160 MVA and 132/33 kV, 50 MVA capacity power transformers. The construction of the substation has been completed, and all equipment, including the power transformers, have been successfully tested. The 132 kV substation has been brought into operation.

According to the power purchase and sale agreement between Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) and Himalayan Power Partner Ltd, the power of 27 MW Dordi Khola Hydropower Project is connected to this substation. The Dordi Corridor 132 kV double circuit transmission line constructed for electricity generated from Lamjung's Dordi and its tributary river will now be connected to this substation.

As the construction of Udipur substation seemed to take some time, the electricity from Dordi Khola hydropower and Dordi Corridor transmission line was bypassed to Udipur substation and connected to the switchyard of Middle Marsyangdi Hydropower Station through an alternative arrangement.

As the construction of the substation has been completed, the Dordi Corridor transmission line will now be integrated into this substation, allowing the flow of electricity towards the Middle Marsyangdi switchyard. Following that, electricity will flow to the national transmission system through the Middle Marsyangdi-Marsyangdi 132kV transmission line.

Kulman Ghising, the managing director of the NEA, said that as the electricity will be supplied locally through the 33 kV line from Udipur substation, the electricity supply to that area will be reliable.

Ghising said, “Under the project, work is underway to complete the construction of the 220 kV transmission line from Udipur to Bharatpur in Chitwan via Markhichowk in Tanahun by the upcoming mid-April to mid-May. Following the construction of the line, the construction of this line has been given high priority and the work has proceeded, as it will facilitate the transmission of electricity generated by hydropower projects of this area.”

The Marsyangdi Corridor 220 kV Transmission Line Project has been begun for the electricity generated from Masryangdi and its tributaries to flow into the national transmission system.

About 1,600 megawatts of electricity can be transmitted through the transmission line. Under the project, a 113 km double circuit transmission line from Bharatpur, Chitwan to Dharapani, Manang is under construction.

In the Udipur-Markhichowk section of this package, foundations for 90 out of 110 towers have been completed. In the Markhichowk-Bharatpur section, 35 foundations for towers located on private land have been completed out of a total of 83.

Narayan Regmi, head of the project said that as the remaining towers are located in forest areas, the entire process for land use in the forest and the removal of trees has been completed, and tree cutting is about to begin.

Under the project, 69.69 hectares of national forest will be used and 10,225 trees will have to be cut for the construction of the transmission line from Udipur in Lamjung to New Bharatpur via Gorkha, Tanahun. Under the second package, the construction of new Bharatpur and Udipur substations has been completed.

Under the third package, the Manang (Dharapani)-Khudi-Udipur 46 km transmission line and two substations are currently under construction. Construction of 220/132/33 kV Khudi substation has almost completed 90 percent. Likewise, 220/132/33 Manang substation is also under construction. Out of the 46 towers on the Khudi-Udipur transmission line section, the foundations of 22 towers have been completed.