Bid process coordinator REC Power Development & Consultancy Ltd (RECPDCL) is expected to select the winning bidder for three ISTS-TBCB schemes in the coming weeks.
The bid submission dates for all these three schemes have been extended in the past, and going by current schedule, developers for each of the three schemes would be selected by the first week of August 2025.
The three schemes discussed in this story are capital intensive, involving an estimated aggregate outlay of nearly Rs.10,000 crore.
The schemes under discussion are:
Project SPV: Tuticorin Power Transmission Ltd
Scheme: Transmission system for proposed green hydrogen/green ammonia projects in Tuticorin area
Project SPV: Rajgarh Neemuch Transmission Ltd
Scheme: Transmission system for evacuation of power from RE projects in Rajgarh (1,500 MW) SEZ in Madhya Pradesh-Phase III & evacuation of power from RE projects in Neemuch (1,000 MW) SEZ in Madhya Pradesh-Phase II
Project SPV: Robertsganj Power Transmission Ltd
Scheme: Transmission system for evacuation of power from pumped storage projects in Sonbhadra district, Uttar Pradesh
Tuticorin
For Tuticorin Power Transmission, technical bids are scheduled to be opened on July 16, 2025 and financial bids of technically qualified contenders will be opened on July 28, 2025. By current thinking, RECPDCL expects to transfer the project SPV to the selected developer by August 18, 2025.
The bidding process for this scheme has seen a delay of over six months. When the bid process was originally initiated, technical bids were to be opened on December 20, 2024.
One of the major reasons for the protracted bidding process was significant alternations in the project technical parameters. For instance, the most important element envisaged in the project – a 765/400kV substation at Tuticorin, to be known as “Tuticorin GH” – was earlier to be of the AIS type. This was changed to GIS. Further, this substation would now be equipped with STATCOM and MSC (mechanically switched capacitors).
Rajgarh Neemuch
For Rajgarh Neemuch Transmission, technical bids are supposed to have opened on July 4, 2025 while financial bids of shortlisted bidders would be opened on July 15, 2025. The formal transfer of SPV is expected to take place on August 4, 2025.
Robertsganj
In the case of Robertsganj Power Transmission that involves evacuation of power from upcoming pumped storage projects in Uttar Pradesh, financial bids of technically-shortlisted bidders will be opened on July 16, 2025 and the formal SPV transfer is likely by August 4, 2025.
More schemes in the pipeline
RECPDCL is currently conducting the bidding process for three more ISTS-TBCB schemes, housed under: Davanagere Power Transmission Ltd, Ananthapuram II Power Transmission Ltd and SR WR Power Transmission Ltd. Bidding is yet in the early stages.
More recently, RECPDCL has been nominated as bid process coordinator for a new scheme involving HVDC infrastructure, the bidding process for which has yet to begin.
Also read: RECPDCL incorporates SPV for intrastate scheme in Maharashtra
Featured photograph is for representation only