NEA plans six cross-border interconnection corridors

Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has identified six cross-border interconnection corridors and 11 transmission lines with 22,000 MW generation capacity added within 2035.
Speaking at an interaction on Transmission Network System of Nepal organised by Energy Development Council (EDC) in Kathmandu today, managing director of NEA Kul Man Ghising said that the power utility has identified and planned six cross-border
Interconnection corridors and 11 transmission lines with a proposed 22,000 MW generation within 2035, as part of its strategy to optimise the energy grid.
Saying that a robust transmission and distribution system is the need of the hour for reliable power supply he informed that NEA was also going to study the requirements and feasibility of major transmission projects such as East-West transmission highway of 400 kV and 765 kV, Mid-hill transmission corridors of 400 and 220 kV, and North-South corridors of 220 and 400 kV.
He, on the occasion, also highlighted the current structure of transmission network in Nepal.
The discussion that featured talks from various stakeholders in the energy sector of Nepal saw officials from NEA and Independent Power Producers (IPPs) brainstorm on an outline on the current power scenario of Nepal.
On the occasion, IPPs also lamented discrimination by NEA while evacuating power. They said that compensation rate is different for different hydropower projects – from 45 per cent to 90 per cent. “Therefore, NEA has to be transparent and equal to power producer companies,” they said, adding that there was a special provision for transmission line for foreign producers but not to domestic producers.
The IPPs also stressed the need for a stable policy and more coherent approach from NEA. Giving an example where the construction of double-circuit instead of single-circuit could have evacuated more energy, they further said that IPP are ready to adopt Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) model or even take the responsibility in land acquisition and procurement if allows. “IPPs are ready to adopt any favorable modality and are open to help the NEA to build transmission line,” they said, asking the government power utility to end the discrimination on transmission line construction. "There is a special provision for transmission line for foreign producers but not for national producers and that needs to end," they added
On the occasion, managing director of Liberty Energy Atma Ram Ghimire stressed the need for a stable policy and more coherent approach from NEA. Giving an example, where construction of double circuit instead of a single circuit transmission line could evacuate more energy and avoid duplication, he said that NEA has to synchronise the effort and have better coordination.
NEA has given top priority to install double circuit high capacity transmission network to enhance the quality of power supply.