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Newly built substation eases power distribution
The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has brought a new substation into operation in Dadeldhura district, easing electricity distribution in the hilly districts of Province 7.The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has brought a new substation into operation in Dadeldhura district, easing electricity distribution in the hilly districts of Province 7. The state-owned power utility on Tuesday finished charging the Syaule Substation which was built by a Nepal-India joint venture of East India Udhyog and Waiba Infra Tech.
The NEA, which has started distributing electricity through the new substation, said power distribution in the region would be more reliable with the new substation coming into operation.
The substation, according to the NEA, will be used to evacuate the electricity that will be generated by different hydropower projects in the region in future.
The power generated by those projects will be fed into the national grid via the Syaule Substation.
The electricity generated by the 30 MW Chameliya Hydropower Project in Darchula will be distributed in Dadeldhura, Darchula, Doti, Baitadi and Achham districts through this substation.
Earlier, the power utility was evacuating the electricity generated by the Chameliya plant to Attariya via the 131-km 132 kV Balanch-Attariya transmission line before using different 33 kV power lines to supply electricity to these districts.
The NEA was facing technical leakage due to the long transmission line.
Besides, the supply system was unreliable with frequent voltage drops.
“Now the technical leakage we were facing while transmitting the electricity generated by the Chameliya scheme through the long transmission line will be reduced,” said Ramesh Prasad Poudel, NEA appointed project chief of the Syaule Substation.
“This substation will improve electricity distribution in the region as we will be able to transmit reliable and quality electricity.”
As the power utility was using 33 kV power lines to distribute electricity to the hilly districts from Attariya, it was aware of problems like voltage drops and leakages. Therefore, it started the construction of the Syaule Substation several years ago. The substation was built at a cost of Rs280 million.
Of late, the NEA has been prioritizing the upgradation and construction of high capacity power lines and substations to improve its distribution system which has been criticized as being ‘unreliable.’
The NEA has begun to upgrade the power lines and substations as the country is poised to become an energy surplus nation with the completion of the 456 MW Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project. According to the power utility, the existing power lines and substations will not be able to handle the additional electricity that will be added to the national grid after a number of projects, including Upper Tamakoshi, come online.
Currently, NEA Managing Director Kulman Ghising is busy visiting the construction sites of various transmission lines and substations, and directing the project officials, contractors and consultants to complete the construction on time.