GE Power’s Grid Solutions business has announced the completion of a first-of-its-kind 400/200kV gas insulated substation (GIS) at Magam village in the Baramulla block of north Kashmir.
Part of the Northern Region System Strengthening 29 (NRSS 29) project, this project was awarded to Sterlite Power by the Indian Government through tariff-based competitive bidding in May 2014. Sterlite Energy recently shared that the commissioning of the project was two months ahead of schedule despite challenging mountainous terrain. The project will provide over half a million Jammu and Kashmir citizens access to reliable power sources year-round. The project was led by GE T&D India Ltd, the listed entity of GE Power’s Grid Solutions business in India, a release from GE said.
The Kashmir valley region in Northern India suffers from blackouts during the harsh winter months – leaving many families exposed to severe cold. The transmission lines spread over 400 km from Samba in Jammu to Amargarh in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district and passes through 11 major towns and districts of J&K.
GE has commissioned more than four hundred 400kV GIS bays across India, but this project was the first time the company delivered a solution under harsh weather and sub-zero temperatures in India. Situated at an altitude of 1,710 m (5,610 ft) in the snow-covered hills of Amargarh, this project was implemented in record time amidst tough conditions.
Specially designed vehicles were used to transport the heavy equipment from different locations across India and deliver them safely to the site, overcoming several considerable constraints like narrow tunnels and rough terrains. For transportation of transformers, GE had to dismantle the entire lighting rail and fixtures of Jawahar tunnel and redo it within a limited time window. Underdeveloped local markets, limited availability of power from the grid and extreme weather conditions all posed significant challenges for the teams, the release said.
