Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL) has initiated FEED studies for the upcoming mega Ladakh HVDC project.
Addressing a recent investor conference, G. Ravishankar, Director (Finance) & CFO, PGCIL, said that front-end engineering design (FEED) studies for the Ladakh HVDC project are already in progress and will be done in two phases.
The studies are being undertaken by two unnamed HVDC technology suppliers, Ravishankar said, adding that the first phase of studies should be completed by April 2024, post which the second phase of studies will begin. Once FEED studies are completed, the bidding process for selection of contractors and suppliers will be initiated, he noted.
The Ladakh HVDC project, officially known as “Green Energy Corridor (GEC) Phase-II – Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) for 13 GW Renewable Energy Project in Ladakh,” envisages investment of Rs.20,773.70 crore with 40 per cent of this coming as Central financial assistance (CFA).
The project was cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on October 18, 2023. PGCIL has been nominated as the implementation agency for this project that is envisaged to complete by FY30. Technically, this project will be implemented by PGCIL under the regulated tariff mechanism (RTM) route.
Explaining the long gestation period, G. Ravishankar said that working conditions in the Ladakh region that is around 4,700m above mean sea level are very inclement due to sub-zero temperatures. On average, only 5-6 months will be available for project work in a year, he said.
Ravishankar explained that PGCIL was awaiting formal communication from the Union government detailing the finer modalities of how the CFA, estimated at Rs.8,309.48 crore, would be disbursed to PGCIL. Once this is done, PGCIL will take up this project for investment approval.
Project details
The project entails setting up of 713 km transmission lines (including 480 km of ±350kV HVDC line) and 5 GW capacity of HVDC terminals — each at Pang (Ladakh) and Kaithal (Haryana). The evacuation infrastructure will use a combination of VSC-based HVDC and EHVAC technologies. This project will help evacuation corresponding to 13 GW of upcoming solar capacity in the Pang region of Ladakh. This solar capacity will be supported by 12 GWh of battery energy storage system (BESS). G. Ravishankar elaborated that though the solar generation capacity would be 13 GW, the transmission system will correspond to 5 GW only, keeping in mind the generic plant load factor (PLF) of solar power systems.
Transmission linkages
The Pang-Kaithal HVDC transmission system will have the following linkages:
- Integration with National Grid (ISTS) at Kaithal in Haryana
- Connectivity to existing Ladakh (interstate) grid via an interconnection at Leh, to ensure reliable power supply to Ladakh region
- Connectivity to existing Leh-Alusteng-Srinagar line, to provide reliable power to UT of Jammu & Kashmir
Also read: PGCIL Acquires Beawar Dausa Transmission
Featured photograph (showing an HVDC converter hall) is for representation only.
