Kathmandu. Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has automated seven old grid substations.

A total of 13 grid substations were started to be automated with a long-term strategy to transform the electricity system into modern, automated and smart.

At least seven substations including Panchkhal, Banepa, Patan, Lainchaur, Balaju, Chapali and Bhaktapur grid have been brought into operation by the automated system. The substations are now operated from a control room at the Zoological Building in Minbhawan. A new control room has been constructed and brought into operation for the operation and control of the substation automatically.

Remaining six substations—Syuchatar, Teku, Matatirtha, Chabahil, K3, and Lamasanghu—will be connected to the automated system within two months. The integrated system operation will be more stable as the automated substation will be connected to the load dispatch center at Syuchatar through supervisory control and data acquisition.

NEA Executive Director Manoj Silwal said that with the fully automated substation, the power interruption will be minimized, load management will be easier, operation cost will be lessened, technical losses will be minimized and the development of smart grid will be achieved.

He said that the employees will not have to be on duty to operate in an unmanned condition after being automated.

The substation was automated with the concessional loan provided under the Asian Development Bank’s Project for Strengthening Electricity Transmission and Distribution Efficiency. The total cost of the project is around Rs 61 crore.

Likewise, work is underway to construct the remaining 64 grid substations across the country under ADB’s concessional loan. The target is to complete this work within the next one and half years. Then the entire grid substation will be automated.