A new interregional scheme is in the making that will help evacuation renewable energy (RE) generated in the southern regional grid.
In its most recent meeting, the National Committee on Transmission (NCT) has approved such a scheme to be implemented under the tariff-based competitive bidding (TBCB) framework with REC Power Development & Consultancy Ltd (RECPDCL) named as the bid process coordinator.
Estimated to cost Rs.1,007 crore, the tentative implementation timeframe of this scheme would be 24 months from the time of formal transfer of the project SPV.
The scheme basically seeks to create a 765kV double-circuit line form Bidar Pooling Station in Karnataka to the New Parli substation in Maharashtra, running about 120 km. Thus, this scheme will facilitate transfer between the Southern Regional Grid (SR) and the Western Regional Grid (WR), and has hence been officially termed as “Interregional strengthening between SR Grid and WR Grid.”
It may be mentioned that a similar scheme helping interregional transfer between SR and ER is also in the planning stage. (Read T&D India’s story dated May 8, 2025)
Genesis
A total of 2.5 GW RE potential is planned to be evacuated through the 765/400/220kV Bidar Pooling Station in Karnataka, which is coming up through an ISTS-TBCB scheme housed under “Powergrid Bidar Transmission Ltd,” a TBCB subsidiary of PGCIL. This scheme, with an estimated outlay of Rs.2,284 crore, is currently under implementation with completion expected by February 2026.
To accommodate more ISTS connectivity applications at the Bidar PS, the pooling station is being augmented by the adding of four interconnecting transformers – 765/400kV, 1×1500 MVA and 400/220kV, 3×500 MVA. This project is also being implemented under TBCB by PGCIL through its subsidiary “Bidar Transco Ltd,” acquired in February 2025.
In order to facilitate more RE integration from SR in general, and from Bidar PS in particular, a 765kV interregional link from Bidar PS (SR) to New Parli (WR) has been planned, as discussed above.
It is learnt that this new SR-WR interconnection will also help SR to import electricity given that SR will have a power demand of 120 GW by 2030, and the existing interregional links between SR and the NEW Grid might not be adequate to support the same. [NEW Grid refers to the combined grids of the northern (NR), eastern (ER) and western (WR) regional grids.]
Parli New substation
It may be noted that the Parli New substation referred to in this story is 765/400kV, 2×1500 MVA installation commissioned by Powergrid Parli Transmission Ltd (PPTL), a TBCB subsidiary of PGCIL. Incidentally, PPTL has since been transferred to Powergrid Infrastructure Investment Trust (PGInvIT). It may be mentioned that under the new ownership of PGInvIT, PPTL is implementing a small RTM project involving putting up a new 400kV line bay at the Parli New substation. This project is on course to commission by December 2025.
Featured photograph is for representation only