Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal inaugurated the 400 kV Hetauda substation built in Thanabharyang in Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City-11 in Makwanpur district on Friday.
The 400/220/132 and 11 kV substation is the third-largest electricity transmission infrastructure in the country.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony, Dahal said a tripartite agreement would soon be reached among the agencies involved in the electricity trade of Nepal, India and Bangladesh for the export 40 MW during the monsoon season to Bangladesh.
He also instructed the energy ministry and the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) to pay special attention to providing a reliable and secure electricity supply to increase domestic electricity consumption.
“I have been informed that there has been an obstruction in the construction of the 400 kV transmission line linking the Hetauda substation to the Dhalkebar substation. I urge the locals not to hinder but rather facilitate the construction of such strategically important transmission infrastructure,” Dahal said. “I instruct the concerned agencies to address the legitimate demands of the local community and complete the remaining work at the earliest.”
Also speaking on the occasion, Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Shakti Bahadur Basnet said the government was working with a plan to increase domestic consumption and export surplus energy.
Likewise, NEA Executive Director Kul Man Ghising claimed that there has been qualitative progress in the areas of electricity generation, transmission and distribution compared to the past seven to eight years. Stating that the amendment to the Land Acquisition Act has further complicated the issue of land acquisition for transmission line construction, he requested the government to pay special attention while enacting the law through the parliament.
The Hetauda substation has the capacity to transmit around 4,000 MW of electricity. Once the 400 kV Hetauda-Dhalkebar-Inaruwa transmission line project is completed, it would be possible to transmit 4,000 MW of electricity from east to west from Dhalkebar.
According to the NEA, the 400 kV double-circuit transmission line being constructed from Ratamate of Nuwakot with the investment of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) will be connected to the Hetauda substation.
