Dec 05, Kathmandu - Seven old grid substations of Nepal Electricity Authority have been automated. With the long-term strategy of transforming the electricity system into a modern, automated and smart one, the automation of 13 grid substations was started.

Out of these, 7 grid substations including Panchkhal, Banepa, Patan, Lainchaur, Balaju, Chapali and Bhaktapur have been connected to the automated system and brought into operation.

Now the substation is being operated from a control room built in the Authority building at Minbhavan. A new control room has also been constructed and put into operation for automatic substation operation and control.

The remaining six substations, namely Syuchatar, Teku, Matatirtha, Chabahil, K3 and Lamasanghu, will be connected to the automated system within two months. Since the automated substation will be connected to the load dispatch center at Syuchatar through supervisory control and data acquisition, this will further strengthen and stabilize the operation of the integrated system.

NEA Executive Director Manoj Silwal said that once the substation is fully automated, frequent power outages will be reduced, load management will be easier as real-time data will be used, operation and maintenance costs will be reduced, technical damage will be reduced, and a smart grid will be developed.

He said that once it becomes automated, employees will not have to be on duty for physical operation in an unmanned state.

The substation has been automated with a concessional loan received under the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Power Transmission and Distribution Efficiency Strengthening Project.

The overall project cost is around Rs 610 million. Work is being done with ADB's concessional loan to automate the remaining 64 grid substations across the country. The work is targeted to be completed within the next one and a half years. After that, all grid substations will be automated.