Bid process coordinator REC Power Development & Consultancy Ltd (RECPDCL) has begun a fresh bidding process for an interstate TBCB scheme housed under “Shongtong Power Transmission Ltd.”
The scheme, for which bidding was originally initiated in June 2023 and was subsequently rescinded, aims to develop evacuation infrastructure for two upcoming hydropower projects in Himachal Pradesh — Tidong (150 MW) and Shongtong Karcham (450 MW). Being developed by state utility Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd (HPPCL), the two projects are scheduled to commission by July 2026.
The fresh bidding process has currently specified October 6, 2025 as the last date for submission for technical and financial bids.
The original bidding process was annulled sometime in September 2024 even after three bidders– Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL), Adani Energy Solutions Ltd (AESL) and Resonia (formerly Sterlite Power) – were shortlisted for opening of initial price bids. In fact In fact, according to information available with T&D India, PGCIL had emerged L1 bidder before the bidding process was called off.
Reason for re-bidding
It is learnt that the bidding process was scrapped as the transmission scheme was not seen materializing by the stipulated date of July 2026, especially with respect to evacuation from the Shongtong Karcham HEP. The scheme had an implementation period of 30 months, which means that it should have been awarded by January 2024, so as to commission as per schedule.
Revised scope of work
The project has several elements, the main ones being a new 2×315 MVA, 400/220kV GIS pooling station at Jhangi in Himachal Pradesh, and a 400kV double-circuit (quad) line connecting this substation to the existing Wangtoo substation of Himachal Pradesh Power Transmission Corporation Ltd (HPPTCL). The contentious issue has been the LILO of one circuit of this line to the generation switchyard of the Shongtong Karcham HEP, which was not seen coming by July 2026 – the expected commissioning date of the hydropower project.
In March 2025, it was therefore decided that an interim arrangement for evacuation from the Shongtong Karcham HEP will be developed by HPPTCL, the cost of which will be recovered from the incumbent developer of the “Shongtong Power Transmission Ltd” scheme, now under fresh bidding.
Accordingly, HPPCL will now build a LILO of one circuit of the existing 400kV Karcham Wangtoo-Baspa-II double-circuit line at the generation switchyard of Shongtong HEP.
The incumbent developer of the scheme now under bidding will use a 4-km portion of this 6-km line as part of the 400kV double-circuit Jhangi PS – Wangtoo (HPPTCL) envisaged in the project, and discussed above.
The estimated cost of the common portion of the line, at Rs.79.48 crore, shall be paid by the incumbent developer to HPPTCL.
The overall completion timeframe of the project is envisaged as 30 months from the date of SPV transfer.
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