Progress has made on the 18 km Cross-Border Transmission Line Section under MCC

Kathmandu;  The decision has been made to advance the work on the 18 km section of the 315 km transmission line construction under the American aid through the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). The 40^th MCC-Nepal's board meeting held on 6 March has decided to expedite the work by exempting that Butwal-Gorakhpur section from the total transmission line.

The Board determined that expediting cross-border section will help to meet the obligations of the cross-border power trade agreement between Nepal and India. “MCA-Nepal Board made this determination collectively owing to the critical importance of this segment to the Government of Nepal (GoN) and the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA). The separation of the 18 km segment from the larger transmission line network will enable a quicker procurement process and its implementation in order to ensure that the line is completed on time by May, 2026 to connect with the lines under construction on the Indian side of the border,” said Nabin Raj Singh, Joint Secretary and Spokesperson at the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation.

The cross-border transmission line is a critical component of the Electricity Transmission Project and will facilitate cross-border electricity trade to meet Nepal’s needs. In October 2019, both the GoN and India agreed to the financing and ownership framework that will govern the implementation of the New Butwal–Gorakhpur cross-border transmission line.
 
For the remaining 297 km transmission line, MCA-Nepal continues to work to procure the services of design-build contractors to complete the construction of the transmission lines within the agreed timeline. MCA-Nepal remains committed to ensuring the transmission lines are built on time, within budget, and in accordance with GoN and MCC’s environmental and social standards.