Kathmandu, Nov. 7
The
Chilime-Trishuli 220 kV transmission line has come into operation since
Wednesday evening, November 6.
Electricity
was charged through the 28-kilometre line from the Chilime Hub Substation in
Thambuchet in Aamachhodingmo Rural Municipality of Rasuwa district to the
Trishuli 3B Hub Substation in Pahirebensi in Kispang Rural Municipality of
Nuwakot district at 7:30 pm on Wednesday.
The
Chilime Hub Substation, built as part of the Chilime-Trishuli 220 kV
transmission line project, was also charged the same day. It is equipped with
two 220/132 kV, 160 MVA transformers, providing a total capacity of 320 MVA,
and a 132/33 kV, 50 MVA transformer. Likewise, the Trishuli 3B Hub
Substation, with a 220 kV capacity, was already in operation, the Nepal
Electricity Authority (NEA) informed in a statement on Thursday.
The
Chilime-Trishuli 220 kV line which is capable of transmitting about 1,200 MW
electricity was constructed to integrate electricity generated from various
hydropower projects on the Trishuli River and its tributaries into the national
grid.
The
project is developed with an estimated cost of Rs. 3.62 billion funded by the NEA
and German grant, alongside a concessional loan from the European Investment
Bank (EIB).
Tharka
Bahadur Thapa, Director of the NEA's High Voltage Grid Department, stated that
the completion and operation of the transmission line and substations would
enable immediate integration of electricity from hydropower projects in the
region.
Initially,
the Chilime Hub Substation will connect electricity from the 111 MW
Rasuwagadhi, 42.5 MW Sanjen, and 14.8 MW Upper Sanjen hydropower projects. All
these projects were developed under the leadership of Chilime Hydropower
Company.
Rasuwagadhi
and Sanjen are in the final stages of construction and power generation. The
transmission line was completed with round-the-clock efforts from staff and
contractors, even during the Dashain and Tihar holidays, according to the NEA.
The
28-kilometre line required 76 towers, spanning altitudes between 680 and 2,600
metres. Thirty-three towers had to be constructed in areas without road access,
necessitating the building of over 20 kilometres of access roads and airlifting
materials by helicopter.
The
NEA said that the difficult terrain, steep cliffs, and absence of roads meant
that construction materials, such as stones, sand, and water, often had to be
transported by people or mules. Landslides, forest land use issues, local
resistance, the COVID-19 pandemic and adverse weather in the mountainous and
hilly areas further complicated the project.
A
1,235-metre section from Tiru to Siruchet in Uttargaya Rural Municipality-1 was
strung using drones to cross the Mailung Khola, known as the Mailung Crossing.
The Chilime-Mailung segment spans 20-kilometre with a double-circuit line,
while the Mailung-Trishuli 3B Hub segment extends for 8-km with a multi-circuit
line.
The
multi-circuit line is being constructed to connect the 216 MW Upper Trishuli-1
project, led by Korean companies, with Upper Trishuli-1 covering 60 per cent of
the cost. Construction of the project began in December 2017.
Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 8 November 2024.
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