Lalbandi-Salempur 132 kV Line Comes Online; Power Supply in Sarlahi to Boost

Kathmandu: The Lalbandi-Salempur 132 kV double-circuit transmission line and 132/33/11 kV Chainpur substation in Sarlahi district have officially come into operation.

The newly installed transmission line extends from the Nawalpur substation in Lalbandi Municipality-1, Sarlahi, to Chainpur in Chakraghatta Rural Municipality-7.

Likewise, two power transformers with a capacity of 132/33 kV, 30 MVA each, and one with a capacity of 33/11 kV, 24 MVA, have been installed at the substation. With this, the substation's total capacity has increased to 84 MVA. To facilitate local electricity distribution, five 33 kV feeders and six 11 kV feeders have been connected to the substation.

The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) stated that the operation of the transmission line and substation is expected to make electricity supply more reliable and of higher quality in areas such as Malangwa, Haripur, Haripurwa, Dumariya, and Barahathwa in Sarlahi. According to the NEA, this will help reduce electricity leakage and mitigate issues such as low voltage and frequent power interruptions (tripping). Furthermore, it will assist in managing the growing local demand for electricity along with strengthening the supply system.

NEA Executive Director Dirghayu Kumar Shrestha stated that the authority has accorded high priority to providing reliable, high-quality electricity service with adequate voltage to consumers. He noted that the work of expanding and strengthening electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure is being advanced in a planned manner.

A contract worth Rs 1.12 billion was signed in April 2022 for the construction of a transmission line spanning approximately 20 kilometers and a substation. The contract came into effect in May 2023. The Government of Nepal and the NEA have invested jointly in the projects.