GR Infraprojects Ltd has won its second interstate transmission system (ISTS) scheme, under the tariff-based competitive bidding (TBCB) route.
In a brief stock exchange filing, bid process coordinator REC Power Development & Consultancy Ltd (RECPDCL) announced that it has transferred the project special purpose vehicle “Pachora Power Transmission Ltd” to GR Infraprojects Ltd on February 14, 2024.
The SPV was incorporated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of RECPDCL, in turn a wholly-owned subsidiary of REC Ltd.
According to information available with T&D India, GR Infraprojects Ltd clinched the project under the TBCB mode, quoting the winning tariff of Rs.419.74 million being the annualized transmission charges (tariff).
As reported by T&D India on January 8, 2024, eight bidders had qualified for opening of bids. The seven others were Adani Energy Solutions Ltd, Apraava Energy Pvt Ltd, India Grid Trust [Consortium of IndiGrid 2 Ltd (70%) and IndiGrid 1 Ltd (30%)], Montecarlo Ltd, Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd, Sterlite Power and Torrent Power.
However, it is not yet known which three bidders (other than the winner GR Infraprojects) participated in the final e-reverse auction.
Pachora Power Transmission Ltd will develop an ISTS scheme in Madhya Pradesh officially termed as “Transmission system for evacuation of power from RE projects in Rajgarh (1,000 MW) SEZ in Madhya Pradesh-Phase II”.
The scheme is scheduled for completion by February 13, 2026 – 24 months from the SPV transfer date.
Project details
The ISTS scheme caters to evacuation of 1,000 mw (or 1 GW) of RE power from Madhya Pradesh. In this project, transformation capacity at the Pachora PS will be augmented by 3×500 MVA through the addition of three 400/220kV ICTs, which will be the fourth, fifth and sixth at the pooling station. A 400kV double-circuit line from Pachora PS to Ujjain substation of MPPTCL (Madhya Pradesh Power Transmission Company Ltd) is also envisaged.
A total of 2.5 GW of renewable energy (RE) potential has been identified in Madhya Pradesh; evacuation has been planned in two phases. In the first phase, systems corresponding to 1.5 GW are being developed, mainly involving setting up of the Pachora Pooling Station (3×500 MVA) and the 400kV double-circuit Pachora-Bhopal line. This project is currently under implementation through “Rajgarh Transmission Ltd.” The scheme under “Pachora Power Transmission Ltd” represents Phase II of the overall project discussed above.
Second ISTS scheme for GR Infraprojects
For GR Infraprojects Ltd, this would the second ISTS scheme that it is developing under the TBCB route. The company won its first scheme “Rajgarh Transmission Ltd” (discussed above) on May 30, 2022 – the date of project SPV transfer.
Incidentally, this project, though in advanced stage of completion, is running a little behind schedule. It is reliably learnt that GR Infraprojects Ltd has approached Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) for an extension in scheduled commercial operation date (SCOD).
Featured photograph shows (L to R) Ms. Ritu Arora, Satyaban Sahoo, V Lakshmana Charyulu (from RECPDCL); Ashwin Agarwal and Saurabh Kaushik (from G R Infraprojects Ltd) at the handing-over function of Pachora Power Transmission Ltd.
