The private sector that could not contribute to power transmission line addition in the first four months of FY22, made its first significant addition in August 2021.
According to the latest status report by Central Electricity Authority (CEA), private sector could add only 5 ckm of new transmission lines during the first four months (April to July) of FY22.
However, in August 2021, this ownership group made a respectable contribution of 481 ckm, taking the total contribution in FY22, up to end-August 2021, to 486 ckm. Transmission lines discussed here are those of rating of 220kV of more.
The addition of 481 ckm was from a single project – the 765kV Bikaner-Khetri double-circuit line commissioned by Adani Group. This line located in Rajasthan runs from the Bikaner substation of Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL) to a new substation at Khetri.
Incidentally, this line is associated with an interstate transmission scheme officially known as “Transmission System Associated with LTA applications from Rajasthan SEZ Part-D” that is being implemented under the tariff-based competitive bidding (TBCB) modality by Bikaner-Khetri Transmission Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Adani Transmission Ltd. The overall project, which includes few other elements apart from the Bikaner-Khetri line, is also on the verge of completion.
Even as the private sector added 486 ckm of new transmission lines in the April-August period of FY22, it was far lower than the planned achievement of 1,609 ckm.
Overall performance
Meanwhile, the country’s overall addition of transmission lines stood at 5650 ckm in the April-August period of FY22. This was less than half of the planned target of 12,218 ckm. There was a shortfall across all ownership groups – Central government, state government and private sector.
Central government agencies, led by PGCIL, added 1,920 ckm during the said period, as against the targeted 3103 ckm. Significantly, over half of this addition, was from 765kV lines. State government utilities made the highest contribution of 3,244 ckm, albeit lower than the targeted 7,506 ckm. As discussed in a separate story by T&D India, the Telangana state power transmission utility performed the best in terms of transmission line capacity addition in the first five months of FY22.
Featured photograph is for representation only
