TRANSMISSION SYSTEM PLANNING AND EXPANSION IN
NEPAL: STATUS AND ISSUES
S. Rajbhandari
Status As of July 2013: Transmission
Transmission system, often called grid, transmits
electrical energy in bulk, generally from
generating stations to the primary substations.
NEA Grid extends from Anarmani in the east to
Gaddachowki, (upto Indian Border) in the west.
132 kV : 2129 cct km, 66 kV : 511 cct km
Substation gross capacity: 1884 MVA
Total number of grid substations: 42
Principal voltage of grid is 132 kV.
INPS Single Line Diagram I
Lamosangu
Trishuli
Anarmani M/ nagar
KGA
Modi
Butwal
MMRS
Bhrtpr Htd
Parwanipur India
Chapur Dhalke
Dubi
Lahan
Jhim
Lamai
Birgunj
Tanakpur
27th April 2011 4
Why Transmission System Expansion ?
To alleviate congestion and improve system reliability.
To increase the ability to distribute available power to meet existing and future demands
To meet NEA’s contractual obligation for transmission with various power producers
To increase NEA’s ability to import/export power
To replace older transmission lines that are in
poor condition and no longer reliable.
To prevent equipment overloads and low voltages.
Current Transfer Situation of NEA Grid
Grid is facing congestion in the following sections:
Hetauda-Bharatpur-Bardghat 132 kV, Marsyangdi-Kathmandu 132 kV, Pokhara-Bharatpur 132 kV, Sunkosi-Bhaktapur 66 kV and Trisuli-Kathmandu 66 kV
System collapse takes place under any one of the
contingency conditions:
Kaligandaki-Pokhara 132 kV link disrupted:
Tripping of Bardaghat-Bharatpur and/or Bharatpur-
Hetauda 132 kV lines
Tripping of Marsyangdi-Siuchatar 132 kV line
Tripping of Khimti-Bhaktapur 132 kV line
Planning Dilemma
Planning must take into account various factors whose future is still unknown. Under investment limits the use of renewable, increases congestion while Over investment results in low network utilization. Generation and Transmission expansion: case of chicken or egg story.
A properly designed transmission system provides a good distribution of power flows by avoiding excessive geographic concentrations.
A transmission system should have ample margin to allow for contingencies and should deal with the uncertainties of long range forecasts.
Planning Dilemma contd.
NEA has been stuck with some key planning parameters:
Transfer capacity of the grid: 83,000 MW? Or for 10,000
MW as Government’s recent plan or for 3200 MW for
2025/26 as forecasts suggests?
Planning horizon: 5 years or 30 years?
Performance standards: What limits/ values to be adopted for these performance standards: thermal, voltage, relay, stability and short circuit.
Maintenance aspect: Less expensive lines with reduced level of design parameters or maintain economy in the life cycle.
Contingency levels :? N-1, N-2 or N-1-1?
NEA Transmission Plan
NEA’s Transmission System Master Plan, TSMP 1998 envisages a 220 kV grid to meet future domestic needs and limited export.
With the increasing participation of IPPs, NEA has
stopped updating TSMP except for carrying out grid
impact study for IPP projects.
NEA has revised TSMP basically to ease out evacuation of
power to be generated by IPPs.
No detailed study generally followed has been carried out.
The plan is based on load flows only.
10
Revised TSMP of NEA
We already have “10,000 MW in 10 years and 25,000
MW in 20 years” plans unveiled by different governments.
The ambitious plan to develop thousands of MW pose
serious challenge to transmission planner.
To address power evacuation problems foreseen, the
Government and NEA has revised the plan to undertake
many transmission links in phase wise manner.
Plan is silent on how these will be implemented.
Difficult to implement the plan unless some strong
measures for unhindered construction are taken
Priority 1: Projects Under Construction
Project Km Year Cost,
M$
Source
Kusum-Hapure 132 kV TL 20 2013/14 6.30 GN, NE
Singati-Lamasangu 132 kV TL 45 2013/14 19.50 GN, NE
Hetauda- Siuchatar 132kV
Second Circuit
40 2013/14 2.80 GN, NE
Dumre-Damauli-Marsyangdii
132 kV TL
56 2013/14 18.62 AD, NG,NE
Butwal- Kohalpur 132 kV
Second Circuit
208 2013/14 17.30 AD, NG,NE
Khimti-Dhalkebar 220 kV
TL
75 2013/14 28.00 WB, NG, NE
Hetauda- Bharatpur 220 kV
TL
72 2013/14 28.50 WB, NG, NE
Priority 1: Projects Under Construction Project Km Year Cost, M$ Source
Bharatpur-Bardghat 220
kV TL
73 2014/15 30.00 WB, NG, NE
Kabeli 132 kV TC 70 2015/16 41.00 WB, NG, NE
TCB 132 kV TL 28 2015/16 23.00 GN, NE
Kohalpur-Mahendranagar
132 kV 2nd Circuit
198 2015/16 20.00 AD, NG,NE
Dhalke-Bhitta 400kV TL 40 2014/15 30.00 IN, NG, NE
Hetauda- Dhalkebar-
Duhabi 400kV TL
285 2015/16 139.00 WB, NG, NE
Trishuli 3 B Hub-
Matatirtha 220 kV TL
46 2015/16 22.70 CH, NG, NE
Total 1256 426.72
Priority 2: Projects Initiated for Implementation
Project Km Year Cost, M$ Source
Modi-Lekhnath 132 kV TL 45 2016/17 12.15 IN, NG, NE
Samundratar-Trishuli 3B 132
kV TL
18 2015/16 7.00 ADB*, NG, NE
Baneshwor-Bhakt 132 kV 12 2016/17 25.36 NG, NE
Chilime-Trishuli 220kV TL 40 2015/16 35.00 EIB*, NG, NE
Koshi 220 kV Trans Corridor 110 2016/17 90.00 IN, NG, NE
Kali Gandaki 220 kV TC 150 2015/16 105.00 ADB*, NG, NE
Marsyangdi 220 kV TC 115 2015/16 56.00 ADB*, NG, NE
Marsyangdi-Kath 220 kV TL 85 2016/17 45.00 ADB*, NG, NE
Tamakoshi -Kath 220 kV TL 100 2016/17 75.00 AD, NG,NE
Solu 132 kV Trans Corridor 90 2016/17 15.75 IN, NG, NE
Total 765 466.26
Priority 3: Transmission Networks Planned
Project Km Year Cost, M$ Source
Ramechhap-Garjang-Khimti
132kV TL
50 2015/16 13.50 NG, NE
Hapure-Tulsipur 132kV TL 20 2015/16 4.50 NG, NE
Dordi 132 kV Corridor 20 2016/17 4.50 NG, NE
Gulmi-Lumbini 132 kV TL 30 2018/19 9.45 NG, NE
Dhalkebar-Loharpatti 132 kV TL 20 2018/19 9.72 NG, NE
Lekhnath-Damauli 220 kV TL 45 2015/16 16.88 AD, NG, NE
Damauli-Bharatpur 220 kV TL 45 2016/17 22.50 AD, NG, NE
Karnali132 kV Corridor 60 2015/16 20.00 NG, NE
Budhiganga-Pahalpr 132 kV TL 75 2017/18 20.00 NG, NE
Total 365 121.05
Priority 4: Future Transmission Networks
Project Km Year Cost, M$ Source
Kohalpur-Surkhet 132 kV TL 55 2016/17 20.00 NG, NE
Gulmi - Chanauta 132kV TL 60 2016/17 24.00 NG, NE
Bajhang -Attariya 132 kV TL 110 2016/17 40.00 TBD
Surkhet-Dail-Jumla 132kV TL 110 2016/17 40.00 TBD
Kaligandaki-Jhimruk 132kV TL 90 2016/17 36.00 NG, NE
Hetauda- Butwal 400 kV TL 190 2017/18 170.63 TBD
Lamki-Mahendra 400 kV TL 105 2021/22 78.75 TBD
Butwal- Lamki 400 kV TL 220 2021/22 165.00 TBD
Bardaghat-Gorakhpur 400kV
TL
40 2019/20 18.75 NG, NE
Duhabi-Jogbani 400kV TL 20 2019/20 15.00 NG, NE
Dudhkosi 400 kV Corridor 60 2022/23 86.00 TBD
Total 1060 694.13
Revised TSMP of NEA
NEA plans to develop 3000 km of transmission
networks in 9 year period; estimated to cost 1700
M$ excluding the cost of RoW.
NEA CDP 2013 envisages developing 1000 km of
132 kV, 810 km of 220 kV and 580 km of 400 kV
transmission networks by 2017/18.
The funding requirement is estimated at 1300 M$,
of which 383 M$ is expected from ADB, 266 M$
from WB, 205 M$ from other donors and 439 M$
from GoN and NEA.
Barriers to Transmission Development
The barriers to transmission development :
a. No political commitment/priority
b. No central planning body
c. No cost allocation / timely recovery system.
d. No national grid policy
e. No reliability standards
f. No regulatory institution
g. Lack of coordination among stakeholders
Barriers to Transmission Development
h. EIA and license approval hurdles
i. Overlapping roles of various institutions
j. Funding gap
k. Implementation hurdles:
-Acquisition of land and RoW
- Law and order situation
- NIMBY issues
- Environmental issues
Implementation Hurdles
Right of-Way
Prerequisite for Transmission
Development
Political commitment/will
Development of a long term target based TSMP.
Construction after RoW and forest clearance.
Creation of a separate body for power trade.
Establishment of Grid Code and regulatory body.
One window policy.
Separate land and RoW acquisition act.
Recovery of investment to ensure investment
Development Options Develop networks on the basis of uses and
ownership:
NEA: Main Grid: East-West section
PTCN: All cross border links and links required
for evacuating IPP generation.
A Transmission Company for internal grid and
PTCN for cross border links.
PTCN is already implementing Nepal portion of
Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur 400 kV cross border link.
All cross border links by PTCN.
Development Options contd.
Develop networks with advance technology, bundle
efficient conductors, monopole, multi circuits
Ensure investment for speedy growth:
Government investment, participation of project affected
people, Leasing for RoW cost
Develop transmission networks based on demand and river basin:
Sapta kosi and Sapta Gandaki tributary basin mainly for domestic consumption
Karnali-Mahakali basin for export
“Dreams are today's answers to tomorrow's
questions”. -Edgar Cayce
Thank You
“If you don’t make dust, you eat dust” – Jack A MacAllister
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