February 28: Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has completed the construction of nine substations for electricity distribution and put them into operation since mid-July of the current fiscal year.

The NEA has also constructed and put into operation 33 and 11 kilovolt (KV) and 400 volt lines to supply electricity from the grid substations to the distribution substations and to supply electricity from the distribution substations to the consumers. In addition, distribution transformers have also been installed.

From mid-July till now, nine distribution substations of 33/11 kV capacity have been completed and put into operation. This has improved the electricity supply in the substation construction area and also reduced the leakage, the NEA claimed.

Kulman Ghising, executive director of the NEA, said that the construction of distribution lines and substations is being carried out across the country to provide reliable, quality, sufficient and safe electricity to the consumers.

"We are extensively expanding and strengthening the distribution system to electrify the places without electricity and to improve the supply to the places with access to electricity," Executive Director Ghising said, adding, "The demand for reliable and high-quality electricity supply in the country's major cities and industrial areas including the federal capital Kathmandu Valley will increase by 2050. We have progressed the construction of transmission and distribution lines and substations that can carry high-level reliable electrical load in a phased manner.”

Ghising said they have started the upgrading and strengthening of transmission and distribution lines and substations that are currently in operation and the construction of new transmission lines and substations for this very purpose.

The NEA has installed 33-11 KV Chisapani substation for power supply in the western region of Ilam and Panchthar, Danjavan substation for power supply in Bagmati and Bakaiya Rural Municipality of Makwanpur, Darbang Substation for power supply in Mangala, Malika and Dhaulagiri Rural Municipality of Myagdi and Bojhpokhri substation has been constructed and put into operation for power supply in Bullingtar Rural Municipality of Nawalparasi (Bardghat-Susta East).

The substations were built through the investment of the Government of Nepal and NEA under the subsidized distribution system strengthening and expansion project of the Asian Development Bank. Under the project, the construction of 25 new substations and the upgrading of 12 substations and construction of the distribution network is currently underway. Out of the 25 substations, the construction of five is in the final stage, while the upgrading of the substations has been completed.