Special Stories
Electrification: From villages to households
On April 28, 2018, India crossed a very important social milestone—that of achieving 100 per cent village electrification. The Prime Minister, in his Independence Day speech of 2015, had vowed that all the then non-electrified villages, numbering 18,452, will be electrified in 1,000 days thence, which worked out to May 11, 2018. The government announced that with the electrification of Leisang village in Manipur, all villages now stand electrified. Thus, the 1,000-day electrification target was achieved with around 12 days to spare.
Sterling and Wilson sees immense opportunities in T&D sector
- May 10, 2018
Shapoorji Paloonji Group company Sterling and Wilson sees major opportunities in the power transmission and distribution (T&D) sector. Speaking at a select media roundtable in Mumbai, Pradyot Kumar Paine, Chief Operating Officer of the power T&D division of Sterling and Wilson, said that the company has end-to-end capabilities in the power T&D sector projects. “We are ready to deliver anything in the power T&D space across voltages from 415V all the way to 765kV, right from engineering to procurement to construction,” was how Paine summarized the capabilities of the power T&D division of his company.
Railway electrification: A growth wave in the making
- Apr 24, 2018
Even as conventional power T&D contractors are busy with routine government works that range from augmenting capacity of the National Grid right down to household electrification, there is another growth wave in the making—railway electrification.
Improving quality and safety awareness in LV cables
- Jan 23, 2018
In terms of number of manufacturers and consumers, the low-voltage cable segment is the largest in the electrical cable industry. Also known as the building wire industry, this segment refers to cables that have low voltage rating, usually 1.1kV. The estimated market size of the building wire segment is around Rs.12,000 crore and the current growth rate is in the region of 8-9 per cent. Real estate is of course the biggest demand driver for this industry.
Mega power transmission projects facing RoW constraints
- Dec 2, 2017
Over half of the interregional power transmission projects awarded under the tariff-based competitive bidding (TBCB) mechanism are facing right-of-way challenges, a study by T&D India suggests. The basic data for the study was obtained from official reports released by Central Electricity Authority.
Brazilian power transmission beckons Indian developers
- Oct 25, 2017
India has made a beginning in winning concessions in Brazil’s power transmission market, and with Brazil planning more such auctions, the opportunities for Indian companies appear bright. According to H.E. Rosimar Suzano, Consul General, Consulate General of Brazil in Mumbai, Indian companies like Sterlite Power have already won concessions in the power transmission space in Brazil, and Indian power transmission utility Power Grid Corporation of India has also evinced interest. Suzano was speaking at the IEEMA Convention 2017 that witnessed a series of presentations by diplomats of several countries, on the theme “Make in India – Enhancing Global Footprint.”
Power T&D Vision 2022
- Aug 18, 2017
T&D India attempts to outline key contours that will describe the power sector over the next five years. While the primary focus is on the power transmission and distribution (T&D) sector, we are also looking at related areas.
Power Generation
- Traditional coal-fired power plants will lose their prominence making way for renewable sources like solar and wind. With improved domestic coal availability, stranded coal-fired plants are expected to revive leading to an overall reduction in plant load factor (PLF) despite an increase in electricity generation.
- The ultra mega power project series that hasn’t seen much progress beyond the Sasan and the Mundra projects, will slip into oblivion.
Mega transmission projects up for award
- Jul 1, 2017
In the foreseeable future, interstate power transmission projects worth over Rs.5,000 crore are coming up for award on the tariff-based competitive bidding route. This gives ample opportunity for existing developers to consolidate their position and also to emerging Indian and foreign companies to venture into power transmission development. A story by Venugopal Pillai.
Record year for Power Grid Corporation of India
- Jun 10, 2017
Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCIL) placed orders worth Rs.30,200 crore in FY17, making it the highest level in any single year in its history. PGCIL CMD, I.S. Jha, highlighted this achievement and elaborated on several others during a recent press meet in Mumbai to discuss the company’s financial results for FY17. PGCIL commissioned assets worth Rs.32,000 crore (including projects under the tariff-based competitive bidding route) in FY17, also making it the highest such commissioning in any year so far. The highest-ever capital expenditure, at Rs.24,429 crore in FY17, was also the maximum in any year thus far. Read more
Tata Power DDL plans mobile transformers
- May 12, 2017
In order to provide uninterrupted power supply during the upcoming summer season and meet with the eventualities, Tata Power Delhi Distribution (Tata Power-DDL) has made an advanced preparation with 39 Mobile Distribution Transformers evenly stationed across its distribution network in North and North West Delhi, a company release said. Read more