The government is planning to import 300 megawatt electricity from India within the next one and half years.A joint standing committee meeting of energy secretaries of Nepal and India here on Friday agreed on the import of 80 MW electricity through the Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur cross-border transmission line within the next three weeks.Besides, the meeting agreed on the import of more power via the same transmission line, with the decision of initiating processes necessary for operating the line in a full-fledged capacity by December 2017.

Despite the potential of importing 1,000 MW electricity from the Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur transmission line, there is no high power substation in Dhalkebar to transform power as per the demand. So there is a need to increase the capacity of substation for the import of additional power, according to the meeting.

Besides, the meeting agreed on the matters relating to increasing the capacity of Kataiya-Kushaha and Raxual-Parwanipur cross–border transmission lines. The capacity of both transmission lines is 132 KV and additional 100 MW of electricity would be imported via these transmission lines.

The meeting expressed commitments to complete the construction of both transmission lines by September 2016, according to Energy Ministry’s Joint Secretary and Spokesperson Sanjay Sharma.

The major trade points proposed for electricity transmission between the two countries are Attariya, Lamki, Kohalpur, Butwal, Dhalkebar and Duhabi. The meeting agreed to discuss the proposed trade points. Every transmission line will be of 400 KV capacity. The committees from both countries will conduct a study on it.
The meeting also reviewed the study on operation of the interstate transmission system along with the project being carried by the technical committee.

Spokesperson Sharma said the technical committee was directed to present the conclusion of the study at the joint meeting in June 2016.