Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC), in a very recent order, has granted transmission licence to “Dharamjaigarh Transmission Ltd”.
Dharamjaigarh Transmission Ltd was incorporated as a project special purpose vehicle (SPV) by the bid process coordinator to develop an interstate transmission system (ISTS) project officially known was “Western Region Expansion Scheme- XXVIII (WRES-XXVIII) and XXIX (WRES-XXIX)”.
Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL) was declared as the successful bidder for Dharamjaigarh Transmission, under the tariff-based competitive bidding (TBCB) route. PGCIL had won this project in March 2023, along with two other ISTS schemes, also under the TBCB route. (Read more)
CERC, whilst granting the transmission licence, has directed “Dharamjaigarh Transmission Ltd” to invite suggestions/objections to the grant of licence and file the same before CERC by July 20, 2023.
Project scope
Western Region Expansion Scheme- XXVIII (WRES-XXVIII) and XXIX (WRES-XXIX) involves creating of several transmission elements, and has an overall completion date of March 2025.
WRES-XXVIII basically aims at creating 220kV level (GIS) at the 765/400kV Raipur Pool substation of PGCIL in Chhattisgarh. This will be achieved by installation of 2×500 MVA, 400/220kV interconnecting transformers (ICTs) along with associated ICT bays – two of 400kV and two (GIS) of 220kV.
Similarly, WRES-XXIX entails the creation of 220kV level at the 765/400kV substation, to be achieved by installation of of 2×500 MVA, 400/220kV ICTs along with associated ICT bays – two of 400kV and two of 220kV.
No bids at e-RA stage
It is interesting to note that during the bidding process of Dharamjaigarh Transmission Ltd, no bids were submitted at the e-reverse auction (e-RA) stage. Therefore, the initial bids submitted by the four bidders in contention were considered final. While PGCIL clinched the project quoting a levelized annual tariff of Rs.28.690 crore, Sterlite Power came a close second with a bid that was only 4.3 per cent higher. Adani Transmission and GR Infraprojects – in that order – were L3 and L4.
Also read: CERC Approves Transmission Licence To Patran RTM Project
PGCIL, upon acquisition of “Dharamjaigarh Transmission Ltd” from the bid process coordinator PFC Consulting Ltd on March 28, 2023, subsequently renamed to project SPV to “Powergrid Dharamjaigarh Transmission Ltd”.
Featured photograph (source: Toshiba) is for representation only.
