MCC: Construction of substation at Ratmate is entrusted to Indian company

Kathmandu. India’s Techno Electric and Engineering Company Limited has got the responsibility of constructing a 400 kV substation at Belkotgarhi Municipality-7 Ratmate of Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Nuwakot.

The Millennium Challenge Account Nepal Development Committee (MCA-Nepal) has announced in a press release issued today that Nepal has entered into an agreement with the Indian company Techno Electric and Engineering for this work.

According to the agreement, 400 KV gas insulated switchgear (GIS) substation will be constructed within 39 months and after the completion of the construction, Ratmate substation with a capacity of 1000 megavolt ampere will be one of the biggest substations in Nepal, MCA Nepal has mentioned in the statement.

MCA-Nepal is confident that the new Ratmate substation, which will be built at a cost of 50.16 million US dollars, will act as an important bridge for electricity transmission between Lapsiphedi and the new Hetaunda substations.

Executive Director of MCA-Nepal Khadga Bahadur Bista and Business Director of Techno Electric and Engineering Company Limited Rajeev Aggarwal signed the agreement in the presence of officials of MCC and MCA-Nepal. This is the second substation construction agreement signed by MCA Nepal among the three substations to be built under the MCC Nepal Compact.

After this agreement, it is believed that the 400 kV Ratamate Substation, which is envisioned as an important part of Nepal’s national electricity transmission system in Nepal’s Transmission System Development Plan (TSDPN), will be another important achievement of MCC Nepal Compact in the energy sector of Nepal.

After the signing of the construction contract, Millennium Challenge Corporation Resident National Director Diane L. Francisco said, “Since the MCC Nepal Compact implementation has gained momentum with the signing of the contract for the construction of the second Ratmate substation out of three substations, it can be considered as a big leap in terms of implementing a compact.” We are confident that the progress of MCC Nepal Compact in the next few years will contribute significantly to the growing energy sector of Nepal.

The 400 KV Ratmate substation will also have the capacity to transmit more than 3,200 megawatts of electricity from the hydroelectric project and the substation. Reliable electricity available at different voltage levels will be distributed at this substation to increase the industrial and commercial activities in Nepal.

In addition to three substations under the power transmission project, MCC Nepal Compact is providing financial support to construct a 315 km transmission line from Lapsifedi in Kathmandu to Nawalparasi (Bardghat Susta West) to Nepal-India border. The bids received for the construction of 18 km cross-border transmission line are being evaluated. MCA-Nepal aims to sign its construction contract this July. Similarly, MCA Nepal has informed that preparations are being made to re-bid this year for the construction of the remaining 297 km of transmission line.