Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has granted licence to two regulated tariff mechanism (RTM) components of a major evacuation scheme related to renewable energy parks in Khavda, Gujarat.
The two RTM components, denoted as “Part E1” and “Part E3” are related to the interstate transmission system (ISTS) scheme officially termed as “Transmission system for evacuation of power from potential renewable energy (RE) zone in Khavda area of Gujarat under Phase IV (7 GW).”
Part E1 costing Rs.216 crore is being developed on RTM basis by Khavda-Bhuj Transmission Ltd, a subsidiary of Adani Energy Solutions Ltd. The project, to be commissioned in 24 months, broadly involves setting up of 3×1500 MVA 765/400kV Khavda GIS substation and a 765kV double-circuit line from Khavda Pooling Station to Bhuj Pooling Station.
Part E3, also costing Rs.216 crore, will be developed by Powergrid KPS3 Transmission Ltd, a subsidiary of Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL). This project will involve, among other elements, augmentation of the Khavda Pooling Station 3 (KPS3), and is scheduled to commission by July 2025.
Both Khavda-Bhuj Transmission Ltd and Powergrid KPS3 Transmission Ltd are developing their respective ISTS schemes under the tariff-based competitive bidding (TBCB) route and these RTM components represent infrastructure augmentation to elements envisaged under these TBCB schemes.
Incidentally, Khavda-Bhuj Transmission Ltd fully commissioned its TBCB project in the last quarter of FY24. The ISTS-TBCB project housed under Powergrid KPS3 Transmission Ltd is scheduled to commission by December 2024.
Overall scheme
The overall scheme “Transmission system for evacuation of power from potential renewable energy (RE) zone in Khavda area of Gujarat under Phase IV (7 GW)” is being developed under eight components – four major (Part A, Part B, Part C and Part D) and four minor (Part E1, E2, E3 and E4). The overall project is estimated to cost around Rs.19,000 crore. Five components – Part A to Part D, and Part E2 — will be on TBCB basis and the remaining three on RTM. (Read more)
Part E4
The third RTM component of the scheme under discussion – Part E4 – will be developed directly by PGCIL, with no TBCB subsidiary involved.
TBCB components
All the five TBCB components are currently under bidding stage and are housed under the following project SPVs:
Part A: Khavda IV A Power Transmission Ltd
Part B: South Olpad Transmission Ltd
Part C: Khavda IV C Power Transmission Ltd
Part D: Pune-III Transmission Ltd
Part E2: Khavda IV-E2 Power Transmission Ltd
In mid-April 2024, Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL) announced that it has received the letter of intent for “Khavda IV-E2 Power Transmission Ltd” but according to information available with T&D India, the formal transfer of the project SPV from bid process coordinator REC Power Development & Consultancy Ltd (RECPDCL) is yet pending.
Also read: Licence Granted To Cross-Border Transmission Line
Featured photograph is for representation only.
