The construction of new Butwal-Bardghat 220 kV double circuit transmission line has been completed to strengthen and reliable the electricity transmission system within the country, to supply electricity to the hydropower projects to be built in the western region and to expand the bilateral and regional electricity trade between Nepal and India.

The construction of 21 and a half km transmission line from Sunwal Municipality-13 Surya Basti of Navalparasi (Bardghat Susta West) to New Butwal substation to Bardghat Municipality-5 of the same district has been completed and put into operation (charge) from Thursday. The 220 KV transmission line from New Bharatpur Substation to New Butwal at Bharatpur Metropolitan City-11 Anptari in Chitwan has been charged.

With the commissioning of new Butwal-Bardghat transmission line, 220 kV transmission line infrastructure has been prepared from New Butwal to Hetaunda. The transmission line can carry about 1,200 megawatts of electricity.

Kaligandaki Corridor starting from Myagdi Dana and ending at Naya Butwal substation and 220 kV transmission line link up to Naya Butwal - Naya Bharatpur - Haitounda have been made to integrate the power of the hydropower projects built in Kaligandaki and its tributaries into the national system.

Executive Director of Nepal Electricity Authority Kulman Ghising said that the backbone of 220 KV has been prepared for east-west electricity flow from Bharatpur and this will improve the voltage and increase the reliability of the overall system.

"It will be easy to export the surplus electricity consumed internally through Dhalkebar to India and to import the insufficient electricity in winter and send it to the west. After the construction of the new Butwal-Gorakhpur second cross-border transmission line is completed, more doors will be opened for electricity import/export", Executive Director Ghising said. 

The electricity produced by the hydropower projects to be built in the Marsyangdi river catchment area will be absorbed into the new Bharatpur substation through the Marsyangdi Corridor 220 kV transmission line. Electricity can be sent from New Bharatpur to Hedaunda and New Butwal. New Butwal-Gorakhpur 400 kV second international transmission line with India is under construction.  

The estimated cost of the new Butwal-Bardghat transmission line, which was built with the investment of the Nepal government and authorities and the concessional loan of the Asian Development Bank, is about one billion rupees. A four and a half kilometer four circuit (multi circuit) line of 220 KV has been constructed from Sunwal municipality-13 Badera to New Butwal substation. Kaligandaki Corridor 220 kV transmission line is connected to the same multicircuit tower.  

The project has been started to expand and strengthen the internal transmission and distribution system for internal consumption of electricity produced within the country and to promote bilateral and regional electricity trade.

project head Vishwaranjan Mishra mentioned that the construction of the transmission line has been affected due to the long process to be completed for the approval of land use and tree cutting in the forest area, the epidemic of Covid-19, and the need to assess the environmental impact due to being in the Chure area.