Sterlite Power has announced the commissioning of two 400kV lines in Telangana as part of the Maheshwaram Transmission scheme in Telangana that Sterlite is developing on BOOM basis. The lines Nizamabad-Shankarapally (double-circuit) and Maheshwaram-Mahaboobnagar are expected to improve power availability in Telangana by almost 1,000 mw.
According to information available, the project faced serious right-of-way concerns in Hyderabad and Sangareddy districts. The situation was overcome through dialogue with landowners and ensuring fair compensation for the land acquired.
Further, the existing bays — two each at the Mahaboobnagar and Maheshwaram (Shankarapally) substations of state utility Transmission Corporation of Telangana Ltd (TSTransco) — were more than 15 years old and designs were unavailable. The project teams of Sterlite Power prepared the designs by physically tracking the existing scheme, so that the new lines could be integrated.
Sterlite Power is implementing the project through its special purpose vehicle Maheshwaram Transmission Ltd (MTL), which is developing the project under a 35-year concession. The project, won under the tariff-based competitive bidding mechanism, was transferred to MTL in August 2015. MTL represents a key component to enable southern India to draw more power from North-East-West (NEW) Grid.
The project, with an investment of Rs.400 crore, involves the following components:
Sterlite Power Transmission Ltd, a leading developer of power transmission infrastructure with 13 projects of nearly 8000 ckm spanning India and Brazil, has pioneered deployment of global technologies and innovative financing, thereby setting new benchmarks in project delivery. Sterlite Power launched IndiGrid, the first Infrastructure Investment Trust established to own inter-State power transmission assets in India.
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