Private power producers setting up large capacity need not worry about reaching the consumer as Power Grid Corporation of India is planning dedicated lines to evacuate electricity produced. The transmission utility has identified nine transmission corridors of about 24,000 circuit kms to connect with users 50,000 mw of new private generation capacity coming up in 4-5 years.
“The new transmission corridors will beef up transmission capacity and meet the growing demand for dedicated transmission facilities from private players in the generation sector,” according to Power Grid chairman and managing director S K Chaturvedi. The new transmission corridors will cost about Rs 58,000 crore. This investment is in excess of the company’s existing expansion programme. Power Grid is investing about Rs 55,000 crore in 11th Plan for developing the national grid. The proposed transmission corridors will focus on wheeling power from the generation projects located in the coal belt of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa and imported coal-based generation projects in coastal Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. The PSU has signed long-term transmission agreements with 38 private developers for the project. “The transmission network will be ready in time to facilitate long-term open access (LTA) to independent power projects,” Mr Chaturvedi said.
Power Grid board has approved construction of one of the nine corridors while others are awaiting clearance from the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC). The utility will fund the new investment through a mix of internal resources, loan from multilateral agencies and bonds. It could also take recourse to suppliers credit to begin work on the projects. Power Grid is one of the largest transmission utilities in the world with a network of about 74,297 circuit kms of transmission lines. The company has set up a national grid with inter regional power transfer capacity of around 20,800 mw, which is being enhanced to 32,000 mw by 2012.
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