New Keraun substation to boost power reliability in Morang
The Nepal Electricity Authority has completed the 132 kV Keraun substation in Morang, which it says will cut technical leakage and make supply more reliable. Connecting it will cut power in five districts on October 31 and November 1.
The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has completed the construction of the 132 kV Keraun substation in Kanepokhari Rural Municipality-2, Morang. The facility is meant to make electricity supply in Morang and nearby areas adequate, reliable and of better quality, according to reports from Onlinekhabar, Ratopati, Clickmandu, Ujyaalo Online and Nepal Khabar.
Infrastructure and capacity
The new substation has a total capacity of 148.5 MVA, made up of two 63 MVA power transformers (132/33 kV) and one 22.5 MVA transformer (33/11 kV). Five 11 kV feeder lines have been built for local distribution, along with 33 kV double-circuit lines from Keraun to Rangeli and from Keraun to Biratchok.
Project chief Darshan Raya Yadav said these lines will be charged once the substation comes into operation. The contract for the project was signed in Asar 2078 BS (mid-2021). The project, with an estimated cost of about Rs 1 billion, was built with investment from the Government of Nepal and the NEA and a concessional loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Impact on power supply
NEA Executive Director Dirghayu Kumar Shrestha said the substation will make supply in Morang secure and reliable and cut technical leakage. He said the 33 kV lines serving the area are so long that leakage is high and consumers face frequent tripping. The area has so far been supplied by the Duhabi-Rani-Rangeli 33 kV line, about 50 kilometres long. With shorter lines, the NEA expects better voltage and a more dependable supply.
Scheduled power cuts
To connect the new facility, the NEA will carry out "loop-in" and "loop-out" work at the Keraun substation on the Duhabi-Damak section of the East-West 132 kV transmission line on Saturday, October 31, and Sunday, November 1, 2026.
On both days the line will be shut from 4:00 am to 12:00 noon. According to the NEA, power will be cut during those hours in all of Jhapa, Ilam, Panchthar and Taplejung districts, and in the Urlabari and Pathari areas of Morang.