Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL) has announced the commissioning of a 765kV line connecting the northern and western regional grids, under the tariff-based competitive bidding (TBCB) mechanism.
In a very recent stock exchange filing, PGCIL said that the project was commissioned on July 31, 2021.
The project was commissioned by Powergrid Varanasi Transmission Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of PGCIL, which had won the project through tariff-based competitive bidding in around March 2018.
The newly-commissioned 765kV double-circuit line connects the Vindhyachal Pooling Station (Madhya Pradesh) to Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh). This line is associated with the “Transmission System New WR-NR 765kV Interregional Corridor.”
The project SPV was incorporated as “WR-NR Power Transmission Ltd” but later renamed to “Powergrid Varanasi Transmission Ltd,” according to information available with T&D India.
Background
The 765kV Vindhyachal Pooling Station – Varanasi double-circuit line is aimed to provide strong connectivity between the northern region (NR) and western region (WR) grids, enabling flow of power under various contingencies. The project was approved in around March 2016, and came up for bidding in December 2016.
PGCIL emerged as the successful bidder under the TBCB mode, and was awarded the project in around March 2018. The annual levelized tariff is around Rs.92.73 crore. The EPC contract for this project was awarded to Kalpataru Power Transmission Ltd in April 2018.
The transmission line spanning around 190 km (route length) involved capital expenditure of around Rs.920 crore.
Second TBCB in FY22
This is the second interregional/interstate TBCB project to be commissioned in this fiscal year. The first was also commissioned by PGCIL.
(Featured photograph is for representation only)
