Assessment of Electromagnetic Field Distribution at Malbase Substation

This paper presents insights into the assessment of the electromagnetic field at the 400 kV Malbase substation, located in Pasakha. With the development and increase in the number of hydropower plants in Bhutan, the Malbase substation was constructed for the transmission and distribution of power within and outside of the country. With the increase in the generation of electricity, there is an increase in the radiation of electric and magnetic fields from the substation, which when exposed to any individuals working or living in the vicinity, can have negative health effects. This EMF radiation is measured using an EMF meter and simulated in EFC400 software, which is then compared with the reference levels for safe general public and occupational exposure, given in the guidelines of the International Commission for Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). The highest recorded electric and magnetic field during practical measurement is 1728 V/m and 29.3 µT and in the simulated output, the highest electric and magnetic field is 1704.66 V/m and 29.56 µT respectively, all recorded at the transformer zone. The simulated data of EMF is validated with the practically measured data. Even though the electric and magnetic field values are high, the values are still below the reference safe level, indicating that the substation EMF level is at a safe range.