Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCIL) has been declared as developer (successful bidder) for the Eastern Region System Strengthening Scheme (ERSS)-XXI in Bihar, which has an estimated cost of Rs.1,320 crore. In a stock exchange communication, PGCIL said that it received the letter of intent on October 17, 2017. The project was awarded using the tariff-based competitive bidding (TBCB) mechanism.
The ERSS-XXI scheme will be the eleventh TBCB project for PGCIL
REC Transmission Projects Company Ltd, a subsidiary of Rural Electrification Corporation Ltd, was the bid process coordinator. A shell company ERSS XXI Transmission Ltd was formed for the project, on January 11, 2017, as a wholly-owned subsidiary of RECTPCL. This shell company will be subsequently transferred to PGCIL, the successful bidder.
The project aims at boosting the transmission infrastructure in Bihar in view of the estimated load demand of 11,000 mw in the northern state, by 2021-22. The transmission scheme involves the setting of two new 400/220/132kV substations in north Bihar—at Sitamarhi and Saharsa, and one similar substation at Chandauti in south Bihar. The two existing substations at Darbhanga and Motihari would also be extended. The 400/132kV Motihari substation with a current transformation capacity of 315 MVA is owned by Essel Infra and is part of the Darbanga-Motihari scheme that Essel is developing in Bihar.
ERSS-XXI also involves setting up of two 400kV double-circuit lines—one from Darbhanga to Sitamarhi, and the other from Sitamarhi to Motihari.
Power Grid Corporation of India currently has ten projects under development, won under the TBCB mechanism. Of this one project—the Vemagiri transmission scheme—has been officially scrapped. The ERSS-XXI scheme will be the eleventh TBCB project for PGCIL, which has so far recorded a 40 per cent success rate (in terms of number of projects) awarded under the TBCB route.
(Photo for illustration only, courtesy Power Carriers (India) Pvt Ltd)
