October 16: The construction of a 25 MW capacity solar power project in Nuwakot has been obstructed after 11 containers coming from China carrying power cables were stopped at Kerung checkpoint.

If the power cable had arrived on time, the project would have generated 10 MW of electricity by last May. However, the project is still in limbo as the equipment have been stopped at Kerung for the past five months.

Other works of the plant to generate 10 MW of electricity have almost been completed. Now, if the connection can be done with a power cable, an additional 10 megawatts of electricity can be generated. However, this has not happened due to the lack of power cable.

Containers carrying electronic goods for the substation, including power cables, have been stopped in China since the border was closed late last year to control the spread of coronavirus.

Even though the checkpoint has been opened, it has been practically difficult to bring the goods. The containers are not exactly at the border but 24 kilometers towards China. Nepali containers have to go there to get those goods. However, under the pretext of coronavirus, the Chinese side has not allowed the Nepali containers to enter the country. Therefore, it is not possible for Nepali containers to go there and bring the goods, informed Bikash Raghubanshi, head of the project.

“If we had power cable, we could have generated an additional 10 megawatts of electricity three months ago,” he informed, adding, “However, the chances are slim. We can generate an additional 10 megawatts of electricity within a month of the arrival of the container.”