PM Dahal inaugurates 400-kV Hetauda Substation

KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal inaugurated the 400-kV Hetauda Substation today, during a programme organised by the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) in Hetauda. 

The substation is situated at Thana Bharyang of Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City-11 in the Makawanpur district. It is the country's third-largest automatic substation based on the Gas Insulated System (GIS) and was brought into operation last Friday. 

In addition to this, two other substations with capacities of 220kV and 132/11kV have been constructed at Thana Bharyang by the Nepal-India Electricity Transmission and Trade Project and they have also been operational since last Friday. 

The Dhalkebar substation, which is based on GIS technology, is the country's largest automatic substation, while the Inaruwa substation is the second largest, and the Hetauda substation is the third largest. These structures have been built to ensure reliable and high-quality east-west power supply within the country and to facilitate power trade with India.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal addresses the inauguration ceremony of Hetauda Substation organised by the NEA at Thana Bharyang, Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City-11 in Makawanpur district, on Friday, June 14, 2024. Photo: RSS

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal addresses the inauguration ceremony of Hetauda Substation organised by the NEA at Thana Bharyang, Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City-11 in Makawanpur district, on Friday, June 14, 2024. Photo: RSS

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Executive Director Kul man Ghising among others attend the inauguration ceremony of Hetauda Substation organised by the NEA at Thana Bharyang, Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City-11 in Makawanpur district, on Friday, June 14, 2024. Photo: RSS

With the completion of the substation at Hetauda, infrastructures capable of transmitting around 4,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity have been prepared. It is anticipated that the domestic electricity supply will be further bolstered and the electricity trade with India will be expanded, as 4,000MW power can be transmitted east-west from Dhalkebar with the completion of the Hetauda-Dhalkebar-Inaruwa 400kV transmission line.

A double-circuit transmission line with a 400kV capacity, which will be constructed from Ratmate of Nuwakot with the assistance of the US Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), will be connected to the Hetauda substation. The necessary infrastructures have been established at the Hetauda substation for this purpose. 

The Hetauda, Dhalkebar, and Inaruwa 400kV substation expansion project was initiated through the joint investment of the Government of Nepal and NEA under the National Electricity Development Decade programme. All three substations under the project have been constructed.

The contract agreement for the construction of 220/132/11kV Hetauda substation was signed in December 2018. It was built by the Nepal-India Electricity Transmission and Trade Project with investment from the government and NEA, and a soft loan from the World Bank. The estimated cost of the substation is Rs 3 billion.

By RSS