Damage worth 74 billion rupees to power Infrastructure

Kathmandu: The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has reported that 430 megawatts of electricity have been cut off from the system due to damage caused by the floods in the Bhote Koshi River on August 26.

The damage affected the 220 kV hub of the Upper Trishuli-III ‘B’ project as well as various other hydropower projects. NEA Executive Director Dirghayu Shrestha stated that the preliminary damage to the generation, transmission, and distribution infrastructure of the NEA and its subsidiaries is estimated to be around Rs 74 billion.

Several power generation plants have been forced to shut down unexpectedly due to damage caused to various power infrastructure components by the incessant rainfall. It may take time for some of the halted generation plants to resume operations, though power supply has been restored in most areas through the active efforts of distribution centers and the Grid Operation Department.

Technical teams have been deployed to restore power lines in the remaining affected areas as well. The total capacity of the eight power projects currently offline is 230 MW. Meanwhile, hydropower projects with a combined capacity of 262 MW in the Seti-Madi corridor and 190 MW in the Marsyangdi corridor, which had been disrupted by floods, have resumed operations.

The NEA has stated that the 144 MW Kaligandaki Hydropower Project, which was halted due to floods, is also expected to resume operations by this evening. Meanwhile, the NEA has noted that detail information regarding the extent of the damage is still pending, as access routes to the damaged sites and other areas remain obstructed, hindering on-site inspections.

Rainfall has disrupted power supply in several areas, including Manang, Baglung, Mustang, the Jhaputar substation area in Tanahun, and Pyuthan. Power supply has already been restored in areas such as Myagdi, the Kutar substation area in Tanahun, Baglung, and Eastern Rukum. Technical teams have been mobilized to restore electricity to the remaining affected areas by Tuesday, the NEA stated.

The NEA estimates that approximately 1,218 MW of electricity will be available from domestic generation during the upcoming dry season. To balance supply and demand, the NEA plans to import an additional 1,154 MW of electricity from India through various channels.

RSS