KEC lands Rs.477-crore mandate for balance works of Warora-Kurnool project
- April 19, 2021
KEC International announced that it has signed an agreement for completion of balance works on the Warora-Kurnool transmission project.
In a media release, KEC International said that it has signed novation agreements with Warora Kurnool Transmission Ltd (WKTL) to complete the balance project work of the Warora-Kurnool transmission scheme. The works, valued at Rs.477 crore, involve transmission lines in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Telangana. Project execution work is expected to start shortly, KEC said.
WKTL is now a subsidiary of Adani Transmission Ltd (ATL) following definitive agreements signed between ATL and original developer Essel Infraprojects Ltd. The agreements, formalized on March 26, 2021, envisage acquisition of WKTL by ATL for a consideration of around Rs.3,370 crore.
According to Vimal Kejriwal, MD & CEO, KEC International Ltd, “We are pleased that work on this strategic project interconnecting the West to South is poised to restart. This project along with the current TBCB projects secured from Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL) in the last quarter will contribute significantly towards the revenue growth in the domestic T&D market.”
Project delayed
According to information available from Central Electricity Authority, the Warora-Kurnool transmission scheme is currently under implementation but there have been project delays. When the project was awarded to Essel Infraprojects in around July 2016, the envisaged completion date was November 2019. However, the project is now targeted for completion by March 2022.
Impediments
The project was severely impeded by right of way issues in coal-bearing areas of Western Coalfields Ltd (WCL) and Singareni Coal Collieries Ltd (SCCL). The critical issue was construction of transmission towers in the Penganga open cast mine area of WCL in Chandarpur district, Maharashtra, and in the area of Prof. Jayashankar open cast project of SCCL in Telangana.
It is further learnt that a joint meeting between all stakeholders was held in January 2020, and it was decided that the project developer (WKTL) will complete the balance works—mainly 16 towers in the disputed coal-bearing areas—without further delay.
(Featured photograph for representation only)
