Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL) has been assigned an ISTS scheme “Eastern Region Expansion Scheme – 44” or “ERES-44” under the regulated tariff mechanism (RTM) route.
Estimated to cost Rs.385.77 crore and with an envisaged implementation period of 18 months (15 months on best-effort basis), this scheme was approved at a recent meeting of National Committee on Transmission (NCT). ERES-44 will take shape in West Bengal.
Rationale
Several 220kV transmission lines and substations were implemented in the eastern region for import of power from the Chukha hydropower plant in Bhutan. Evacuation infrastructure for this plant also involved setting up of cross-border transmission lines.
The Chukha hydropower plant was fully commissioned in 1988 and the transmission system therefore is over 35 years old. Due to ageing of conductors, there has been an increase in conductor-snapping incidences. It has therefore been proposed to reconductor transmission lines associated with the Chukha evacuation system.
InSTS component
It may be noted that the overall transmission network associated with the Chukha hydropower scheme involves some intrastate transmission system (InSTS) lines in West Bengal. These lines will be reconductored by the state transmission utility West Bengal State Electricity Transmission Company Ltd, in a matching timeframe, and will not be considered in the scope of ERES-44.
Project Scope
ERES-44 entails reconductoring of eight existing transmission lines aggregating 786 ckm with HTLS (high temperature low sag) conductors with ampacity of 1,250A. Besides, bay equipment at three existing substations of PGCIL – Alipurduar, Birpara and Binaguri (all in West Bengal) – will also form part of the project scope.
The eight lines to be reconductored are:
- ISTS portion of 220kV D/C Alipurduar (PG) – Falakata (WBSETCL) [54 ckm]
- ISTS portion of 220kV D/ Falakata (WBSETCL) – Birpara (PG) [54 ckm]
- 220kV D/C Birpara (PG) – Binaguri (PG) [160 ckm]
- 220kV D/C Binaguri (PG) – Siliguri (PG) [12 ckm]
- 220kV D/C Siliguri (PG) – Kishanganj (PG) [216 ckm]
- 220kV D/C Kishanganj (PG) – Dalkhola (PG) [62 ckm]
- ISTS portion of 220kV D/C Dalkhola (PG) – Gazole (WBSETCL) [195 ckm]
- ISTS portion of 220kV D/C Gazole (WBSETCL) – Malda (PG) [33 ckm]
The project scope also includes laying of OPGW (optical ground wire), running about 108 km, along the reconductored 220kV D/C Siliguri (PG) – Kishanganj (PG) line.
Also read: PGCIL receives LoI for “Rajasthan IV 4A” ISTS-TBCB scheme
Featured photograph (source: drukgreen.bt) shows the 336-MW Chukha hydropower project in Bhutan.
