High-tech system for power transmission soon

Eight new transmission lines will be set up to transport 34,000 Mw over long distances, primarily north and south

In around three years, India will see some 34,000 megawatt (Mw) of power being transported over long distances, primarily to the northern and the southern regions. This will be made possible through setting up of large trunk transmission lines, which are technologically the most advanced in the world.

Transmission of power over large distances is not very common across the world, except in China and Europe. Currently, only 5,900 Mw of power travels to the southern grid from the northern, eastern and western grids, but the volume will jump to 17,000 Mw by 2019-20. This increase of 11,100 Mw will be made possible by the coming up of five new transmission lines at Rs 42,950 crore.

“We have built more corridors in northern and southern regions and their capacity has been increased. Close to 18,000 Mw of transmission capacity would be ramped up for both the northern and southern regions,” I S Jha, chairman, Power Grid Corporation, told Business Standard.

Similarly, the northern region which currently gets 8,050 Mw from the western region, will see the number rising to 17,000 Mw by 2018-19 through the coming up of three additional lines.

“States are now replacing costly power and wheeling cheap power from other regions. By paying 25-30 paise in transmission, they are saving Rs 1-2 per unit of power generation,” Jha said.

Not only in terms of capacity, the sector has also seen technological enhancement. The high voltage direct current (HVDC) technology made its debut in India, with Adani Power setting up the first such line from Mundra in Gujarat to Haryana. The 1,000-km-long 500-kv bi-pole HVDC line connects the western grid to the northern grid and was commissioned in 2012, transmitting power from Adani’s Mundra power plant.

India’s first HVDC corridor, however, was built by the state-owned PowerGrid. The 800-kv, 6,000-Mw line was built with an investment of Rs 12,000 crore. The corridor connects Bishwanath Chariali in Assam to Agra in Uttar Pradesh through Alipurduar in West Bengal.

The HVDC corridor would facilitate transfer of 24,000 Mw from future power generation projects in the northeastern region and Bhutan. The corridor, PowerGrid said, would help resolve the issue of congestion in the north and northeast regions.

According to government regulations, all transmission corridors to be awarded through tariff-based competitive bidding from 2014-15 onwards would be based on HVDC technology.

The “Perspective Transmission Plan for 20 Years” also emphasises on new technology such as HVDC and better load forecast. The plan is in sync with the general network access (GNA) for power transmission that is under discussion.

GNA is a form of transmission network planning which aims at developing a transmission system in a manner that available power can be smoothly transmitted.

It would not be necessary to know in advance the destination of supply for a power generation plant.

INTER-REGIONAL TRANSMISSION CAPACITY

Lines between western and northern region grids

• 6,000-Mw Bipole Champa Pool to Kurushetra
• RAPP-Sujalpur 400-kv D/C
• Jabalpur-Orai-Aligarh 765-kv D/C

Lines between north, east and western grids joining southern grid

• Angul-Srikakulam-Vemagiri 765-kv D/C
• Wardha-Hyderabad 765-kv link & connectivity lines for Maheshwaram
• Additional link for Warora-Warangal-Hyderabad-Kurnoll 765-kv link
• Strengthening of transmission system beyond Vemagiri
• HVDC Bipole link Raigarh-Pugalur-North Trichur

Source: PowerGrid