Kathmandu, Oct 6 – The first package of the Koshi Corridor 220 kv transmission line has been completed. Construction of 220-kv double circuit tower stretching from Inaruwa in Sunsari district to Basantapur in Terahthum, Baneshwor and Tumlingtar in Sankhuwasabha district and power cables have been installed in the one side of the tower.A programme was jointly organized by the Nepal Electricity Authority and India’s Exim Bank at Hile of Dhankuta district on Wednesday to make announcement of the same.
The project estimated to cost over USD 112 million is being constructed with investment of Government of Nepal and concessional loan from the Exim Bank of India. The Exim Bank has provided USD 90 million as concessional loan for the project. The Corridor is expected to facilitate transmission of the electricity produced by the hydro power projects to consumers in Sankhuwasabha, Dhankuta, Taplejung and Sunsari districts.
From Tumlingtar to Basantapur, around 1,000 megawatts of electricity could be transmitted while another 1,000 megawatts of electricity will be transmitted from Dhunge Sanghu (Taplejung) to Basantapur.Likewise, around 2,000 megawatts of electricity could be supplied from Basantapur to Inaruwa. The Corridor is believed to be a transmission and distribution network for the reliable electricity in the Province No 1.
At today’s programme, Biswajit Garga from India Exim Bank handed over the key of the Corridor to joint-secretary at the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Madhusudan Bhetuwal and Nepal Electricity Authority’s executive director Kulman Ghising.Present at the event were deputy chief of mission of the Indian Embassy in Nepal Namgya C Khampa.
Speaking at the programme, NEA’s executive director Ghising said that with the completion of first section of the Corridor, the Province No 1 had got backbone for the transmission and distribution of electricity in its province. He shared that Kabeli Corridor and Koshi Corridor would be linked and substations would be constructed following which, he believed, the electricity supply would be reliable.
Joint-secretary Bhetuwal informed that the completion of the first section of the Corridor had made physical infrastructures ready to supply electricity produced from Arun and Tamor reservoir to the consumers.
The completion of this project had also secured the investment of private sector in the hydro power projects in these areas.
Deputy Chief of Mission in the Indian Embassy in Nepal Khampa said that energy was the major area of cooperation between India and Nepal. Khampa said that India could not only purchase the electricity produced from Nepal but also could sell it off as per the Cross-Border Electricity Trade Guidelines.
