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