Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL) has continued its winning spree with the addition of two more schemes to its ISTS-TBCB portfolio.
PGCIL, on December 12, 2024, received the letter of intent for two interstate transmission system (ISTS) schemes where developer selection was done under the tariff-based competitive bidding (TBCB) mechanism.
The two schemes are:
- Transmission system under ISTS for evacuation of power from Kudankulam Unit-3 & Unit-4 (2×1000 mw)
- System strengthening at Koppal-II and Gadag-II for integration of RE generation projects
The respective project SPVs – “Kudankulam ISTS Transmission Ltd” and “Gadag II & Koppal II Transmission Ltd” – currently wholly-owned subsidiaries of PFCCL will be transferred to PGCIL in due course.
It is reliably learnt that PGCIL was in the race with just one other contender for both the schemes – Techno Electric & Engineering for Kudankulam, and Sterlite Power in the case of Gadag II-Koppal II .
PFC Consulting Ltd (PFCCL) was the bid process coordinator (BPC) for both the schemes.
Kudankulam ISTS Transmission Ltd
The Kudankulam scheme essentially aims at creating evacuation infrastructure from the upcoming Unit-3 and Unit-4 of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd’s (NPCIL) Kudankulam nuclear power project (KNPP) in Tamil Nadu. The project, estimated to cost Rs.548 crore, involves setting up of a 400kV double-circuit (quad) transmission line connecting the upcoming KNPP-U3 & U4 to the 400kV Tuticorin-II GIS pooling station. GIS-based line-termination equipment at the pooling station will also form part of the project. It may be noted that line bays at the KNPP site will be implemented by NPCIL. The project is envisaged to complete in 30 months
Gadag II & Koppal II Transmission Ltd
This ISTS scheme involves putting up a 400kV double-circuit (quad) line, the second such, connecting the Gadag-II and Koppal-II pooling stations in Karnataka. Both these pooling stations will also see their transformation capacity augmented under this scheme. These two substations are coming up under a separate ISTS scheme housed under “Powergrid Koppal Gadag Transmission Ltd,” also a TBCB-subsidiary of PGCIL. With an estimated outlay of Rs.1,354.40 crore, this ISTS scheme is expected to commission in 24 months. However, some elements are scheduled to commission by December 2025.
PGCIL’s scorecard in FY25
According to an analysis by T&D India, PGCIL, in FY25 so far, has won 19 out of the 27 ISTS-TBCB schemes formally awarded, in that the project SPV has been acquired by PGCIL. There are four other schemes where PGCIL has been declared winner (including the two discussed in this story) but the formal project SPV transfer is pending.
Featured photograph for representation only
