Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL) recently completed an interstate transmission system (ISTS) scheme housed under “Powergrid Bhadla Transmission Ltd.”
According to information available in latest CEA reports, the scheme was commissioned sometime in August 2024, albeit with a delay of nearly two years.
Officially termed as “Transmission system strengthening scheme for evacuation of power from solar energy zones in Rajasthan (8.1 GW) under Phase-II, Part B,” the ISTS scheme awarded to PGCIL under the TBCB route, had an estimated outlay of Rs.1,106 crore.
The project involved setting up of a 405-ckm 765kV double-circuit line (2nd) from Fatehgarh-II Pooling Station (PS) to Bhadla-II PS, apart from construction of two 765kV line bays at Bhadla-II PS, for termination of the above line.
The project ran into trouble as the proposed transmission line fell under potential habitations of the endangered Great Indian Bustard (GIB).
On July 18, 2022, a committee appointed by the Supreme Court cleared the project but ordered re-routing of the Fatehgarh-II – Bhadla-II transmission line. According to information available with T&D India, the original route measured around 380 ckm but the revised route added some 25 ckm to the original length. The project cost shot up by over 50 per cent, from the originally estimated Rs.714 crore.
This ISTS schemes is among several others, collectively seeking to build transmission infrastructure for evacuation of 20 GW from solar energy zones in Rajasthan.
PGCIL won this project quoting annualized tariff of Rs.728.93 million during the e-reverse auction held on January 22, 2021, getting the better of other contenders like Torrent Power, Adani Energy Solutions Ltd (then known as Adani Transmission Ltd) and Sterlite Power.
Here are salient features of the project:
Original name of SPV: Fatehgarh Bhadla Transco Ltd
Bid process coordinator: REC Power Development & Consultancy Ltd
Date of RfP publication: March 5, 2020
Successful bidder: PGCIL
Date of LoI issuance: January 29, 2021
Date of SPV acquisition: June 4, 2021
New name of SPV: Powergrid Bhadla Transmission Ltd
Tariff: Rs.728.93 million per year
Date of securing CERC transmission licence: November 25, 2022
Project Completion (originally anticipated): December 2022
Project Completion (actual): August 2024
Transmission line (ckm): 405
Substation capacity (MVA): NIL
Project Cost (Estimated): Rs.1,106 crore
States covered: Rajasthan
First ISTS-TBCB completion in FY25
According to estimates made by T&D India, Powergrid Bhadla Transmission is the first ISTS scheme awarded under the TBCB route to be completed in the current fiscal year (FY25), so far.
In Q3 (September to December) of FY25, PGCIL, by current thinking, is likely to complete four ISTS-TBCB schemes – Powergrid Sikar Transmission Ltd, Powergrid Aligarh-Sikar Transmission Ltd, Powergrid Narela Transmission Ltd and Powergrid Bhadla Sikar Transmission Ltd. All these relate to evacuation from solar energy zones in Rajasthan. In fact, the Powergrid Sikar scheme was also affected by the GIB issue and will now be commissioned with a time overrun of two years.
Also read: PGCIL, AESL in the fray for Jam Khambhaliya augmentation scheme
Featured photograph is for representation only
