The “Committee of Directors on Investment on Projects” of Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL), on March 13, 2025, accorded investment approval to two projects, with an aggregate outlay of Rs.341.57 crore.
In a stock exchange filing, PGCIL said that investment was approved in the following two projects:
Scheme: Transmission scheme for evacuation of power from Ratle HEP (850 MW) & Kiru HEP (624 MW): Part B
Estimated cost: Rs.218.55 crore (Part I: Rs.177.38 crore; Part II: Rs.41.17 crore)
Scheduled commissioning date: July 14, 2026 (or matching “Part A” of given scheme, whichever is later.)
Scheme: Augmentation of transformation capacity by 2×500 MVA (9th & 10th), 400/220kV ICTs at Tumkur (Pavagada) 400/220kV Pooling Station in Karnataka and implementation of one 220kV line bay at Tumkur (Pavagada) 400/220kV PS for providing connectivity to RE generation project
Estimated cost: Rs.123.02 crore
Scheduled commissioning date: May 20, 2026
According to information available with T&D India, both these interstate transmission system (ISTS) projects have been assigned to PGCIL under the regulated tariff mechanism (RTM) framework.
“Part A” mentioned in the first scheme above will be developed under the tariff-based competitive bidding (TBCB) mechanism. As reported by T&D India, on March 8, 2025, it is reliably learnt that IndiGrid Infrastructure Trust (IndiGrid) has won this project.
The second scheme mentioned above involving putting up two 500 MVA, 400/220kV interconnecting transformers (ICT) at the Tumkur (Pavagada) pooling station in Karnataka. This is being done to provide ISTS connectivity to renewable energy developers like TEQ Green Power XVIII Pvt Ltd and Karnataka Solar Power Development Corporation Ltd (KSPDCL).
It may be mentioned that KSPDCL is seeking additional connectivity of 300 MW for its Pavagada solar park in Karnataka. Connectivity for about 2,050 MW has already been granted, it is learnt.
Currently, the Tumkur PS is being operated with 6×500 MVA, 400/220kV ICTs. Two more such ICTs (7th and 8th) are coming up, also as an RTM project of PGCIL, and are expected to commission by August 2025. The newly-approved RTM project involves putting up the 9th and 10th ICT at Tumkur PS.
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