Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has issued interstate transmission licence to Powergrid Bhadla Bikaner Transmission Ltd, a TBCB subsidiary of Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL).
In a very recent order, CERC issued the final transmission licence to Powergrid Bhadla Bikaner Transmission Ltd (PBBTL) that will be valid for 25 years, and is subject to regulatory conditions.
PBBTL is developing an ISTS-TBCB scheme termed as “Transmission system strengthening for interconnections of Bhadla-III and Bikaner-III complex” in Rajasthan, on BOOT (build, own, operate & transfer) basis.
PGCIL acquired PBBTL from bid process coordinator PFC Consulting Ltd (PFCCL), on August 30, 2024, after PGCIL emerged as the successful bidder under the TBCB mechanism. PBBTL was incorporated on February 6, 2024 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of PFCCL and was then known as “Bhadla-III & Bikaner-III Transmission Ltd.”
PGCIL emerged as the winning bidder with an annual transmission tariff bid of Rs.979.70 million, getting the better of three other contenders – Sterlite Power, Adani Energy Solutions and Techno Electric & Engineering Company. PGCIL was placed L1 even on its initial price bid but its final price bid was around 5 per cent lower than the initial one. The e-reverse auction was conducted on July 9, 2024.
The ISTS scheme, estimated to cost Rs.1,382 crore and with a gestation period of 24 months, is currently under development and is scheduled to commission by February 2026.
The project entails putting up a 765kV double-circuit line of around 150 km connecting the Bhadla-III and Bikaner-III pooling stations in Rajasthan. There will also be two 765kV line bays each at the two pooling stations.
Objective
The main objective of the scheme is to optimally utilize the 765kV transmission system beyond Bikaner-III PS while providing flexibility of power transfer from Bhadla/Bikaner RE clusters. The scheme also aims to improve the resiliency transmission corridor in both the Bhadla and Bikaner renewable energy complexes.
Also read: CERC grants transmission licence to Khavda IV-A Power Transmission
Featured photograph is for representation only
