Eight entities have qualified for opening of initial price bids of a major interstate transmission scheme related to evacuation from upcoming pumped storage projects in Uttar Pradesh.
Bid process coordinator REC Power Development & Consultancy Ltd (RECPDCL) has recently qualified eight bidders, based on their technical bids, for opening of initial price bids for the ISTS-TBCB scheme housed under “Robertsganj Power Transmission Ltd.”
The list includes established players like Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL), Adani Energy Solutions Ltd (AESL), Resonia Ltd, Tata Power and Apraava Energy. The remaining three contenders are relatively new – H.G. Infra Engineering Ltd (HGIEL), KCC Buildcon Pvt Ltd and Enerica Infra 1 Pvt Ltd.
HGIEL is the latest debutant in the ISTS-TBCB development space having recently won the Angul Sundargarh Transmission scheme. KCC Buildcon is yet to win its first ISTS-TBCB scheme but the Gurugram-headquartered infrastructure player has, in the past, qualified for at least two other ISTS-TBCB schemes. Enerica Infra 1 Pvt Ltd, though a newly-incorporated entity, is 74 per cent–owned by IndiGrid Infrastructure Trust (IndiGrid) – a major player in the power transmission development space. As such, Enerica can be considered as an established developer. Incidentally, Enerica was also in the fray for a recent ISTS-TBCB scheme “Rajgarh Neemuch Power Transmission Ltd” that was eventually won by G R Infraprojects Ltd. (Read T&D India’s story dated August 14, 2025)
By current schedule, RECPDCL expects to issue the letter of intent to the successful developer by September 8, 2025, and transfer project SPV “Robertsganj Power Transmission Ltd” to the selected bidder by September 18, 2025.
Project details
Termed as “Transmission system for evacuation of power from pumped storage projects in Sonbhadra district, Uttar Pradesh,” this ISTS-TBCB project is estimated to cost Rs.3,626 crore and has an envisaged completion timeframe of 34 months. This scheme aims to cater to 4 GW of PSP connectivity in the Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh. It is learnt that so far connectivity applications of around 3.7 GW (drawl: 3.7 GW and injection: 3.25 GW) have been received from the two PSP developers — Greenko (2,016 MW) and Avaada (1,716 MW). Their projects are expected to commission by June 2028 and December 2030, respectively. (More project details are available in this T&D India’s story dated April 22, 2025.)
Second PSP scheme
According to information available with T&D India, Robertsganja Power Transmission is the second ISTS scheme related to pumped storage projects, to be developed under the TBCB framework. On May 30, 2025, Adani Energy Solutions Ltd won “WRNES Talegaon Power Transmission Ltd” that is associated with PSPs in western India. Termed as “Network expansion scheme in Western Region to cater to pumped storage potential near Talegaon (Pune),” this project costing an estimated Rs.1,663 crore is scheduled to commission by January 2028. The major element of WRNES Talegaon is a new 2×1500 MVA, 756kV pooling station near South Kalamb in Maharashtra. Incidentally, this pooling station, in conjunction with other intrastate and interstate transmission projects, will be responsible for feeding green energy to Maharashtra, including Mumbai city.
Also read: Eight contenders qualify for ISTS scheme in Madhya Pradesh
Featured photograph (source: ANDRITZ) is for representation only