Interstate transmission system (ISTS) schemes awarded under the tariff-based competitive bidding (TBCB) route have helped in adding over 4,000 ckm of new transmission lines in FY24, a study by T&D India based on official statistics suggests.
According to the study, based on statistics released by Central Electricity Authority (CEA), a total of nine ISTS-TBCB schemes were commissioned in FY24. These helped add 4,080 ckm of new transmission lines and 18,500 MVA of transformation capacity (see table). This new transmission infrastructure was entirely in the 400kV and 765kV voltage class. The total investment envisaged by these commissioned schemes stood at around Rs.13,000 crore.
Adani Energy Solutions Ltd made the biggest contribution, commissioning 1,989 ckm of lines and 10,500 MVA of substation capacity in FY24. Much of this addition came from a single project housed under Warora Kurnool Transmission Ltd that was commissioned in September 2023. This ISTS scheme, straddling Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, saw 1,754 ckm of lines and 3,000 MVA of substation capacity getting added to the national grid.
This project was originally won by Essel Infraprojects in July 2016 and was then scheduled to commission by November 2019. However, with the original developer turning insolvent, the project was acquired by Adani Group in March 2021.
Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL) also made a sizeable contribution by commissioning 1,459 ckm of lines and 3,000 MVA of substation capacity in FY24.
Three other developers – India Grid Trust, Renew Power and G R Infraprojects – commissioned one project each in FY24. Their collective contribution to the national grid infrastructure was 632 ckm of transmission lines and 5,000 MVA of transformation capacity.
Progress in FY25
In an earlier study by T&D India, published on May 13, 2024, it was expected that five ISTS-TBCB schemes would add 1,545 ckm of transmission lines and 6,820 MVA of transformation (substation) capacity by June 30, 2024. However, as of May 31, 2024, no ISTS-TBCB scheme was commissioned, according to statistics released by CEA. It is therefore likely that while some schemes would indeed get commissioned by June 30, 2024 (the official information on which would be available in the third week of July 2024), a few others might see their completion pushed ahead by a month or two.
Featured photograph (source: PGCIL) is for representation only.
