High-Capacity Power Lines to Support Bara-Parsa Industries

The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) is intensifying efforts to construct high-capacity transmission lines and substations to cater to the growing power needs of industries in the Bara-Parsa industrial corridor, including Birgunj. This initiative aims to bolster the power infrastructure and address the power supply challenges in the region.

The NEA is currently working on upgrading existing transmission lines and substations and planning new ones. The areas of focus include Simara, Nijgadh, Birgunj, Parwanipur, Pokhariya, and Parsauni, all within the Bara-Parsa industrial corridor.

A significant part of this project involves replacing the conductors of the 132 kV double-circuit transmission line from Pathlaiya (Piluwa) substation in Bara to Parwanipur. The NEA is replacing the old conductors with high-capacity (HTLS) conductors, which will nearly double the transmission capacity from the current 200 megawatts. The work is progressing with an aim to complete by mid-June this year.

Managing Director of NEA, Kul Man Ghising, emphasized the urgency of the project during an on-site monitoring visit. He urged contractors and project managers to expedite the replacement of the conductors to mitigate the current power supply issues in the Birgunj area, which have necessitated importing power from Raxaul, India.

“There is a complaint of power supply problem in Birgunj area due to the closure of one circuit for the capacity upgrade of the transmission line. In the meantime, due to the inability to supply more power from Pathlaiya, we have to import power from Raxaul in India. In such a sensitive situation, the work should be carried out to complete the work before the scheduled time,” said Ghising. He added that the increased capacity would also enable surplus electricity to be exported to Raxaul.

To further support the industrial demand, two 132 kV substations are under construction at Parsauni in Bara and Birgunj. Additionally, a 132 kV transmission line from Parwanipur to Pokhariya is proposed, with a corresponding substation already under construction in Pokhariya. The design for the 21 km Parwanipur-Pokhariya transmission line is ready.

Moreover, under the Hetauda-Dhalkebar-Inaruwa 400 kV transmission line project, the NEA has initiated the construction of a 400 kV substation at Nijgadh in Bara, which will extend to Pokhariya via Ramauli. This 65 km transmission line will include three 400 kV substations at Nijgadh, Ramauli, and Pokhariya. The environmental survey for this project is awaiting approval.

The Nijgadh substation will be funded through a concessional loan from the Exim Bank of India, while the Nijgadh-Ramauli 38-km transmission line and Ramauli substation will be financed by a loan from the Asian Development Bank. However, the investment for the Ramauli-Pokhariya 27-km transmission line and the Pokhariya substation remains unsecured.

This comprehensive upgrade and expansion of the power infrastructure aim to ensure a reliable electricity supply to the industries in the Bara-Parsa corridor, thereby fostering industrial growth and economic development in the region.