The World Bank has issued a “no objection” to the financial bid evaluation report of one package relating to the Ranchi smart grid project in Jharkhand.
According to a recent government report, the financial bid evaluation report of one package of the Ranchi smart grid project was sent to the World Bank on September 3, 2021, to which the multilateral lending institution communication its “no objection” on September 9, 2021.
The financial bids related to one package — that involving the smart meters, head-end systems (HES), etc.
The Ranchi smart grid project, being implemented by Jharkhand Bijli Vitaran Nigam Ltd (JBVNL), will cover 3.6 lakh consumers in the capital city of Ranchi. The functionalities envisaged are advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and distribution transformer monitoring unit (DTMU).
The project with an outlay of Rs.228.69 crore involves financial support to the tune of Rs.68.61 crore from Government of India.
The Ranchi smart grid project is one of the four pilot smart grid projects being implemented under the National Smart Grid Mission.
World Bank assistance
In September 2018, the World Bank approved assistance of $310 million to the Jharkhand Power System Improvement Project, which aimed at helping the eastern state build new power transmission infrastructure, as well as put in place systems to improve the technical efficiency and commercial performance of the state power sector utilities.
Some of the major components of the project include construction of new substations and transmission lines, primarily at 132kV level; provide support to the Jharkhand Urja Sancharan Nigam Ltd (JUSNL) in setting up systems for strengthening the State Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC) operations including financing software solutions for improving scheduling and dispatch functions. This will help integrate renewable energy in the State Grid.
Also read: Over 7 Lakh Smart Meters Sanctioned Under Pilot Smart Grid Projects
The project will also support smart meters, with two-way communication and backend IT infrastructure, deployed in select urban towns. These meters will not only reduce technical and commercial losses, but also improve peak load management. The meters are expected to provide consumers with better access to data which will encourage them to reduce their electricity consumption. The Ranchi project discussed above represents the first phase of the overall project.
Featured photograph for illustration only
