Bolstered by June performance, transmission upgrade improves in Q1 of FY22

Capacity addition of transmission infrastructure showed significant growth in the first quarter of FY21, as judged from newly-released government statistics. Much of the addition came in June 2021 alone.

During Q1 of FY22, the country saw addition of 1,550 ckm of transmission lines that was 42 per cent higher than the 1,091 ckm added in Q1 of FY21.

Similarly transformation capacity (substations) addition, at 11,392 MVA in Q1 of FY22 was 54 per cent higher than the 7,390 MVA added in the same period of FY21.

It may be noted that transmission lines and substations considered here are only those with rating 220kV or more. In other words, sub-transmission and distribution infrastructure is excluded.

Disaggregated data for the first quarter of FY21 shows that much of the capacity addition came from the Central government sector, which was entirely subsumed by Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL).

 

Transmission Lines

PGCIL added 849 ckm of transmission lines of voltages classes – 765kV and 400kV – accounting for 55 per cent of the total addition.

The state government sector (comprising state transmission utilities) added 701 km, accounting for the remaining 45 per cent. Most of the transmission lines commissioned by state utilities were of the 220kV type, except for a 400kV line spanning 61 ckm put up by the Uttar Pradesh state transco.

What is noteworthy about state utilities is the sharp improvement in performance during June 2021. During the month, state government entities commissioned 523 ckm of transmission lines, out of the total 701 ckm in all of Q1. In other words, nearly 75 per cent of the transmission line capacity addition in the April-June period of FY22 took place in June 2021 itself.

 

Substations

PGCIL was responsible for two-thirds of the total substation capacity added in the first quarter of FY22—its physical achievement standing at 7,530 MVA. State government utilities added 3862 MVA in the said period. Much like the case of transmission lines, majority of the substation capacity added by state utilities in the first quarter of FY22 came in June 2021.

A notable addition in the first quarter of FY22 was the 320kV VSC-based HVDC terminal at Pugalur and North Trichur (Monopole-I), which was commissioned in June 2021. This substation (HVDC converter station) is associated with the extended component (Pugalur-Trichur) of the ±800kV Raigarh-Pugalur HVDC line. Monopole-II of this converter station was commissioned in February 2021. (Detailed project story)