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SOURCE: DATE:

MCA-Nepal Board Advances 18 km Cross-Border Segment of the Power

Transmission Line

1. The 40th MCA-Nepal Board meeting

held on 6 March 2024, decided to advance the
18 km Nepal portion of the Butwal-
Gorakhpur power transmission line on a
priority basis by separating it from the larger
315 km transmission line. The Board
determined that expediting cross-border
section will help to meet the obligations of
the cross-border power trade agreement
between Nepal and India.

2. The cross-border transmission line is a critical component of the Electricity

Transmission Project and will facilitate cross-border electricity trade to meet
Nepal’s needs. In October 2019, both the Governments of Nepal and India agreed
to the financing and ownership framework that will govern the implementation of
the New Butwal – Gorakhpur cross-border transmission line. For the remaining
297 km transmission line, MCA-Nepal continues to work to procure the services of
design-build contractors to complete the construction of the transmission lines
within the agreed timeline.

Assessment:-

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SOURCE: Kathmandu Post DATE: 2076/12/03

MCA-Nepal calls bids to build Nepal section of Butwal-Gorakhpur power line

1. The Millennium Challenge Accounts Nepal has invited separate bids for
commissioning the 400kV New Butwal Nepal-India Cross-border transmission
line, with the Nepal Electricity Authority
prioritizing the construction of this section.
The 18 km-long Nepal section will be a
part of the New Butwal-Gorakhpur Cross
Border Transmission Line with the
capacity to transmit as much as 3,500MW
of electricity. On Friday, the MCA-Nepal,
the special purpose vehicle established to
implement the projects under the MCC,
invited bids and set the deadline for May
16.

2. Earlier, the NEA had even proposed to build the Nepal section of this cross
border transmission line by itself anticipating that implementation of the project by
the MCA-Nepal could be delayed. After bids invited for constructing 315-km-long
transmission lines in three lots were cancelled in October last year, the NEA again
requested the MCA-Nepal to priorities building the Nepal section of the power
line. Other sections include New Butwal-New Damauli (90km), New Damauli-
Ratmate (90km), Ratmate-New Hetauda (58km), and Ratmate-Lapsephedi
(59km).Meanwhile, the MCA-Nepal has also advanced the process of constructing
three 400kV substations for the transmission line after bids from six technically
qualified firms were opened early this week.Two Indian companies have quoted
the lowest prices for three 400kV substations, according to the MCA-Nepal.

Assessment:-

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