Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC), in a recent order, has granted transmission licence to Dhule Power Transmission Ltd (DPTL).
DPTL is a wholly-owned subsidiary of India Grid Trust (IndiGrid) and is developing an interstate transmission system (ISTS) scheme called “Transmission system for evacuation of power from Dhule 2GW REZ” on build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) basis.
The project, estimated to cost around Rs.637 crore is scheduled for completion by February 2026.
The major elements to be developed under this project include a new 4×500 MVA, 400/220kV pooling station near Dhule in Maharashtra, and a 400kV double-circuit line connecting this upcoming pooling station to the existing Dhule substation of Bhopal Dhule Transmission Company Ltd (BDTCL), [See endnote]
IndiGrid acquired Dhule Power Transmission Ltd under the tariff-based competitive bidding (TBCB) route with its winning quote of Rs.582.27 million, being the annual transmission charges (tariff). In the e-reverse auction (e-RA), IndiGrid got the better of three other bidders – Torrent Power, Techno Electric & Engineering Company and Apraava Energy. Sterlite Power and Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd were also amongst the contenders but did not make it to the e-RA stage.
Kallam Transco
In a related development, CERC has granted interim transmission licence to Kallam Transco Ltd, also a subsidiary of IndiGrid. CERC has directed Kallam Transco to file a public notice seeking objections/suggestions to the proposed transmission licence. Kallam Transco is expected to place any objections, if any, before CERC by August 15, 2024. The matter will come up for next CERC hearing on August 20, 2024.
Kallam Transco is developing an ISTS scheme called “Western Region Network Expansion Scheme in Kallam area of Maharashtra.” IndiGrid won Kallam Transco under the TBCB route with a winning tariff quote of Rs.152.50 million.
In the initial price opening stage, IndiGrid was L1 with a quote of Rs.152.50 million, with three other bidders – Sterlite Power, Torrent Power and PGCIL. Interestingly, no bids were received at the e-RA stage and IndiGrid’s initial quote thus became the final bid.
The project to be developed by Kallam Transco Ltd involves addition of transmission elements to the existing Kallam Pooling Station in Maharashtra. Interestingly, this pooling station was commissioned earlier this year by Kallam Transmission Ltd, an ISTS-TBCB project also owned by IndiGrid.
Note: The Dhule substation referred to in this story is part of an ISTS-TBCB scheme commissioned in June 2015 by Bhopal Dhule Transmission Company Ltd (BDTCL), which was then a subsidiary of Sterlite Power. BDTCL was subsequently acquired by IndiGrid.
Featured photograph (source: IndiGrid) is for representation only.
