Morang’s 132 kV Keraun Substation Comes Online

Kathmandu: The 132 kV Keraun Substation in Kanepokhari Rural Municipality-2, Morang, has come into operation, which is expected to ensure adequate, reliable and quality power supply in the area.

The substation has been constructed to make the power supply in the northern and southeastern regions of Morang district more reliable, high-quality, and safe. Through charging the substation, the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) brought the infrastructure online from Sunday.

The Keraun Substation, located along the Duhabi-Damak section of the East-West 132 kV transmission line, was charged by connecting it to the line via a 'loop-in, loop-out' (LILO) arrangement. The substation is equipped with two 132/33 kV power transformers (each with a 63 MVA capacity) and one 33/11 kV power transformer (with a 22.5 MVA capacity), bringing the total capacity of the substation to 148.5 MVA.

Dirghayu Kumar Shrestha, executive director of the NEA, stated that the operation of this substation will play a significant role in managing the growing electricity demand in Morang and surrounding areas, enhancing the capacity of the distribution system, and providing high-quality electricity services to consumers.

Two 33 kV lines have been constructed from the substation to supply electricity toward Rangeli and Biratchok. According to Shrestha, these lines will also be charged and brought into operation before the Tihar.

Additionally, five 11 kV feeder lines have been arranged from the substation for local power distribution; these lines will also be charged shortly to begin supplying electricity. With the commencement of electricity supply from the substation, it is expected that the power supply in areas such as Kanepokhari, Rangeli, Biratchok, and Letang in Morang district, along with their surrounding vicinities, will become more reliable and of higher quality. In particular, for areas currently served by long-distance 33 kV distribution lines, the reduction in line length will help mitigate issues such as low voltage and frequent power interruptions (tripping).

Since the substation enables power to be supplied from a closer proximity—thereby shortening the 33 kV line distances—it is anticipated that voltage levels will improve, the frequency of line tripping will decrease, and the power supply will become more secure and consistent. Furthermore, this will also contribute to the reduction of technical electricity losses.

The contract for the construction of the Keraun substation was signed in July/July 2021. The project, which has an estimated cost of approximately Rs 1 billion, was financed through investments from the Government of Nepal and the Nepal Electricity Authority, along with a concessional loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).