The bidder selection process for two important interregional transmission schemes is currently underway.
Bid process coordinators REC Power Development & Consultancy Ltd (RECPDCL) and PFC Consulting Ltd (PFCCL) have recently initiated the bidder selection process for one interregional scheme each, under the tariff-based competitive bidding (TBCB) framework.
While RECPDCL is handling “Inter-regional strengthening between SR Grid and WR Grid,” PFCCL has been entrusted with “Inter-regional strengthening between SR Grid and ER Grid”.
Both these schemes seek to enhance between the Southern Region (SR) grid and the Western and Eastern (WR and ER), respectively.
By current timelines, the last date for submission of bids for the SR-WR scheme is August 22, 2025 and hat for the SR-ER scheme is August 26, 2025.
The SR-WR scheme involves putting up a new 765kV double-circuit line between Parli New substation (Maharashtra) and Bidar (Karnataka).
The SR-ER project will entail putting up a second double-circuit line on the existing 765kV Angul-Srikakulam line running from Odisha to Andhra Pradesh. The existing line is owned by Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL) and is an important channel for power transfer from ER to SR. In FY25, this line transferred 16,627 MU accounting for around half of the total ER to SR transfer that year. There is no reverse transfer (which is from SR to ER) through this line.
Both these schemes aim to address the growing peak demand in SR that is expected to touch 97.5 GW by FY30, from the current 70 GW. SR is also expected to witness major RE demand given the upcoming green hydrogen/ammonia plants coming up in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. This demand will be over and above the 97.5 GW peak demand mentioned above.
SR is generally a net importer of electricity with imports exceeding exports. In FY25, SR was a net importer to the extent of 60,820 MU, albeit improving from 72,186 MU in FY24. Thanks to growing RE generation, SR’s imports of electricity in FY25 dropped by around 8 per cent, year-on-year, while exports were up around 43 per cent.
Speaking of interregional schemes, PGCIL is expected to soon commission a TBCB scheme housed under “Powergrid ER NER Transmission Ltd” that seeks to improve interregional transfer between the eastern region (ER) grid and the northeastern (NER) grid. This scheme entails transmission infrastructure upgrade in Bihar, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
As of May 31, 2025, India’s total interregional (IR) transfer capacity stood at 1,18,740 MW, which has remained unchanged since March 31, 2024. Currently, the bulk of India’s IR capacity (38,320 MW or 32 per cent) is on the WR-NR corridor. (Read T&D India’s story dated May 7, 2025 on interregional electricity transfer in FY25)
Also read: Bidding underway for intrastate transmission scheme in J&K
Featured photograph is for representation only