The National Electricity Plan (NEP) for the period 2023 to 2032 has been finalized. Union power minister Manohar Lal made this announcement at a press conference in New Delhi, on September 23, 2024.
The NEP 2032 aims to create a roadmap for development of Central and state transmission systems so as to meet the envisaged peak power demand of 458 GW by 2032, with a total project outlay of Rs.9.15 lakh crore (or Rs.9 trillion).
Here are salient features of NEP 2032:
- Transmission network will be expanded from 4.85 lakh ckm in 2024 to 6.48 lakh ckm in 2032.
- Similarly, transformation (or substation) capacity will be enhanced from 1,251 GVA to 2,342 GVA
- Nine HVDC transmission systems with aggregate transfer capacity of 33.25 GW will be added by 2032, which will be nearly equal to the 33.50 GW currently in operation.
- Interregional transfer capacity will increase from the present 119 GW to 168 GW by 2032
The aforementioned statistics pertain to transmission infrastructure of 220kV or above. It may also be mentioned that during the 2017-22 five-year period, an average of 17,700 ckm and 73 GVA of transformation capacity was added annually.
ISTS capacity
By 2030, a network to evacuate 335 GW of power generation (inclusive of 280 GW from renewable energy sources) on the interstate transmission system (ISTS) side has been planned. Of this, projects worth 50 GW have already been approved. Of the remaining 285 GW, around 42 GW has been completed, 85 GW is under construction and 75 GW is under bidding. The remaining 82 GW will be approved in due course.
100-day achievement
Transmission schemes corresponding to 50.9 GW capacity have been approved during the first 100 days of the current NDA-III regime. The total estimated cost of the approved projects is Rs.60,676 crore.
The approval covers transmission systems for Gujarat (14.5 GW RE), Andhra Pradesh (12.5 GW RE), Rajasthan (7.5 GW RE), Tamil Nadu (3.5 GW RE), Karnataka (7 GW RE), Maharashtra (1.5 GW RE), Madhya Pradesh (1.2 GW thermal power), Jammu & Kashmir (1.5 GW hydropower), and Chhattisgarh (1.7 GW).
The approved transmission system includes the evacuation of renewable electricity, including offshore wind power in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. This will support the power requirements of planned green hydrogen and green ammonia projects in these states, as well as pumped storage potential near in Maharashtra. Additionally, the approved system will facilitate the evacuation of hydropower from Jammu & Kashmir, and thermal power from Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
Pumped storage projects (PSP)
The Union power minister also informed India has a PSP potential of more than 184 GW. Indian has planned to add 39 GW of PSP capacity by 2030 to address storage and grid stability needs. Presently, 4.7 GW has been installed. Around 6.47 GW capacity is under construction, 60 GW is under various stages of survey and investigation. Contracts for additional 3.77 GW of PSP have now been awarded.
Thermal power
The Union minister also informed that to meet the peak demand and base load requirements of a rapidly expanding economy, the power ministry has prioritized thermal capacity addition. Currently, the total thermal capacity coming from coal and lignite-based plants stands at 217 GW.
In addition, 28.4 GW capacity is under construction, out of which 14 GW capacity is likely to be commissioned by end of FY25. Further, 58.4 GW is at various stages of planning, statutory clearances and bidding. Also, in the last 100 days, the Power ministry has awarded 12.8 GW of new coal-based power generation capacity, the minister said.
Also read: National Electricity Plan: 2022-32 notified
Source: Release issued by Press Information Bureau (PIB)
Featured photograph (source: PIB) shows Union power minister Manohar Lal addressing a press conference at New Delhi, on September 23, 2024
