Kathmandu, Feb. 28: Nine substations under the electricity distribution system have been constructed and brought into operation so far in the current fiscal year 2023/24.

Nepal Electricity Authority has completed the construction of nine substations of 33/11 kV capacity and brought them into operation since July 2023 of the current fiscal year 2023/24.

Due to this, along with the improvement in power supply in the substation construction area, the leakage has also decreased, according to the NEA.

The Authority has also constructed and brought into operation 33 and 11 kilovolt (kV) and 400 volt lines to supply electricity from the grid substation to the distribution substation and to supply electricity from the distribution substation to the consumers, according to the NEA.

In addition, distribution transformers have also been installed.

Managing Director of NEA Kul Man Ghising said that the construction of distribution lines and substations was going on throughout the country to provide reliable, quality, sufficient and safe electricity to the consumers.

He said, “We are expanding and strengthening the distribution system to electrify the places where electricity does not reach and to improve the supply of the places that have been connected with the distribution system.”

“We have progressed the construction of transmission and distribution lines and substations that can carry a high level of electric load by determining the demand for reliable and quality electricity supply in the country’s major cities and industrial areas, including the federal capital Kathmandu Valley, and increasing demand in the future by the year 2050.”

As per the plans, 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 have been started, he said.

The Authority has installed 33/11 kV Chisapani substation for power supply in the western region of Ilam and Panchthar, Kshatiwan 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 Bozepokhari substation for power supply in Bulingtar Rural Municipality of Nawalparasi (Bardaghat-Susta East).

The substation was built with the investment of the government, NEA and the subsidised distribution system strengthening and expansion project of the Asian Development Bank.

Under the project, the construction of 25 new substations, the upgrading of 12 substations and the construction of the distribution network were forwarded.

Out of 25 substations, the construction of five is in the final stage, while the upgrading of the substations has been completed.

A 33/11 kV substations for electricity distribution in Manahari of Makwanpur, Dudhauli of Sindhuli, Namdu of Dolakha and Unichaur of Lalitpur have been constructed and brought into operation with concessional loans obtained through World Bank’s Grid Solar and Energy Efficiency Project, said the NEA.

Similarly, a distribution substation has been constructed at Bamti in Ramechhap with a concessional loan from the World Bank.