Bid process coordinator PFC Consulting Ltd (PFCCL) has incorporated a project special purpose vehicle (SPV) for developing a transmission scheme associated with renewable energy evacuation from Khavda in Gujarat.
In a stock exchange filing, Power Finance Corporation (PFC), the holding company of PFCCL, said that PFCCL has incorporated a project SPV “Vataman Transmission Ltd” that will be responsible for development of an interstate transmission system (ISTS) scheme officially known as: “Transmission system for evacuation of additional 7 GW of RE power from Khavda RE Park under Phase III, Part B.”
Vataman Transmission Ltd is currently a wholly-owned subsidiary of PFCCL and will be transferred to the successful bidder to be selected under the tariff-based competitive bidding (TBCB) route.
The SPV will be entrusted with pre-project activities like survey and preparation of report, initialization of the process of acquisition of land and also initiate the process of seeking forest clearance, if required.
According to information available with T&D India, the ISTS project under discussion is estimated to cost Rs.4,231.49 crore and will have an implementation period of 24 months.
The proposed transmission system will have several elements, the major ones being:
- A 765kV switching station near Vataman with 2×330 MVAr, 765kV bus reactors
- A 765kV double-circuit line from Halvad to Vataman (route length: 170 km)
- A 765kV double-circuit line from Vataman switching station to Navsari (new) GIS substation (route length: 200 km)
Evacuation from Khavda RE Park
Several transmission systems have been planned, in phases, for evacuation of around 15 GW from the Khavda renewable energy (RE) park in Gujarat. Under Phase-I, currently under implementation, evacuation of 3 GW of RE power has been envisaged. Under Phase-II, currently under bidding, transmission systems for evacuation of a further 5 GW, will come up. Under Phase-III, transmission infrastructure for another 7 GW will be set up.
Phase-III will come up in two parts – Part A and Part B. PFCCL is the BPC for both the schemes. In October 2023, PFCCL incorporated a project SPV “Halvad Transmission Ltd” for developing “Part A” of the project. The newly-incorporated “Vataman Transmission Ltd” will be responsible for “Part B.”
Also read: SPV Incorporated For Intrastate TBCB Project In UP
Another 15 GW
It may be noted that while 15 GW worth of evacuation infrastructure from Khavda RE park has been planned in three phases, as discussed above, two more phases (Phase-IV and Phase-V) are also in the planning stage for evacuation of a further 15 GW with 7 GW in Phase-IV and 8 GW in Phase-V.
Featured photograph (source: IndiGrid) is for representation only.
