LAMJUNG: A severe bottleneck in transmission line infrastructure is costing five fully operational hydropower projects in Lamjung an estimated Rs 2.15 billion in lost revenue annually, as grid limitations force massive amounts of generated clean energy to go to waste.

Five hydropower projects, including four in the Dordi River corridor and one in the Ngadi River corridor, have completed construction and entered commercial production. However, due to the limited capacity of the currently available 132 kV transmission line, all the electricity that can be generated from these projects has not been able to connect to the national system.

The biggest impact from this has fallen on the 54 MW capacity Super Dordi ‘Kha’ Hydropower Project. The project had started commercial production three years ago. A flood that arrived in April 2021 caused damages worth more than Rs 1 billion to the project. Although it came back into operation after that, the project has not been able to run at full capacity due to the lack of a transmission line.

According to the project chief Keshav Rayamajhi, only about 27 MW of electricity can currently be connected to the national system through the 132 kV transmission line, combining both the winter and rainy seasons. He stated that due to being unable to supply electricity according to its capacity, the project has been facing a loss of around Rs 800 million annually.

Similarly, the 25 MW capacity Upper Dordi ‘A’ Hydropower Project has also been in commercial production for more than three years. However, due to the limited capacity of the transmission line, only 10 MW of electricity can be connected to the system. According to the project chief Rajendra Wasti, the project has to bear a loss around Rs 300 million annually because of this.

The 30 MW capacity Nyadi Hydropower Project in the Ngadi Khola corridor, which started commercial production four years ago, has also been bearing a loss of around Rs 350 million annually. According to the project chief Uttam Amatya, the project has not been able to generate and sell electricity at full capacity due to delays in the construction of the transmission line.

The 27 MW capacity Dordi Khola Hydropower Project has stated that it has been bearing a loss around Rs 400 million annually. According to the project promoter Guru Prasad Dhakal, though the production capacity exists, financial loss is occurring because full-capacity electricity cannot be connected to the transmission line.

The situation of the 12 MW capacity Dordi-1 Hydropower Project is also similar. According to the project Chief, Uttam Lama, only about 30 percent of the generated electricity can be connected to the national system through the 132 kV transmission line. The remaining energy is going to waste. He stated that due to not being allowed to sell electricity at full capacity, the project has been bearing a loss of around Rs 300 million annually.

The 30 MW capacity Nyadi Hydropower Project in the Ngadi Khola corridor, which started commercial production four years ago, has also been bearing a loss of around Rs 350 million annually. According to the project chief Uttam Amatya, the project has not been able to generate and sell electricity at full capacity due to delays in the construction of the transmission line.

The delay in transmission line construction has worried not only the projects already in operation but also those that have reached the final stage of construction. The 40 MW capacity Super Nyadi under construction on the Ngadi River and the 21 MW capacity Upper Khudi Hydropower Project under construction on the Khudi River are in their final stages. However, if the transmission line is not built on time, there is a risk that these projects will also face similar problems in selling electricity after production.

Why was the transmission line not built?

A contract agreement worth around Rs 16 billion was signed in June 2020 for the construction of a 220 kV transmission line from Ghelanchowk of Manang through Lamjung to Bharatpur of Chitwan under the Marsyangdi corridor. According to the agreement, the project was supposed to be completed within the year 2022. However, even after six years have passed, the construction work has not been able to be completed.

There will be 320 towers on the 112-kilometer transmission line from Manang to Chitwan. The agreement was signed with two Chinese companies for the construction of the transmission line, while the agreement was signed with an Indian company for the construction of the substations. Since the work could not happen according to the agreement, the deadline has been extended up to five times. According to the latest target, the project must be completed by January 2027.

According to the project chief Narayan Regmi, most of the towers from Udayapur of Lamjung to Bharatpur of Chitwan have already completed construction. Currently, the work of stringing wires is underway. However, in some places within the Lamjung area, construction work has not been able to move forward due to local obstruction.

Regmi states that talks are ongoing while understanding the demands of the locals, and it is expected that the work will move forward rapidly once the problem is resolved.

The project has stated that the construction of substations at Udayapur and Tarikuna in Lamjung has already been completed. The construction work of the substation located at Ghelanchowk in Manang is also progressing at a fast pace.