The total substation capacity addition in FY23 stood at 75,902 MVA, meeting 96.1 percent of the target, which incidentally, was revised downwards on two occasions.
According to an analysis by T&D India based on official statistics released by Central Electricity Authority (CEA), the total substation (transformation) capacity addition in FY23 (April 2022 to March 2023) stood at 75,902 MVA was 96 percent of the targeted 78,959 MVA.
However, it should be remembered that this target is a substantially downwardly revised version of the original 95,659 MVA. In September 2022, the original target was revised downwards by 12 percent to 84,169 MVA. This was followed by a further 6.2 percent revision in December 2022 to 78,959 MVA. The total revision worked out to 17.5 percent. This revision was done with a view to making the target realistic. Those substations that were most unlikely to be completed in FY23 were excluded from the target.
Though the FY23 substation capacity addition was close to the revised target, it could not match the achievement of FY22 when 78,982 MVA of transformation capacity was added.
By Ownership
State government utilities (transmission companies) performed the best in FY23. As against the targeted 37,764 MVA, the actual addition was 7.3 percent higher at 40,532 MVA. In fact, state utilities accounted for 53.4 percent of the total addition in FY23. It is believed that state utilities succeeded in completing many of their pending substation projects that were originally scheduled for commissioning in FY22 and earlier.
Central utilities (mainly Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd) added 30,370 MVA, which was 16.1 percent lower than the planned 36,195 MVA. According to reports, PGCIL faced difficulties in getting some of its ISTS projects off the ground in FY23, thanks to the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) muddle. Due to this, PGCIL’s contribution to 765kV infrastructure – both transmission lines and substations – was quite subdued in FY23.
Private sector entities added 5000 MVA of substation capacity in FY23, exactly meeting the target.
Also read: Substation Capacity Addition Falls 33 Per Cent Short Of Target
By Voltage Class
The transformation capacity addition drive in FY23 was dominated by the 400kV class in terms of actual achievement. Addition in this class – at 32,635 MVA – accounted for 43 percent of the total. However, in terms of target achievement, it was the 220kV class that stood out with the actual addition of 23,767 MVA surpassing the target by over 10 percent. The 765kV category saw 19,500 MVA of new transformation capacity commissioned, falling short of the planned addition by nearly 19 percent.
No HVDC-based power transmission infrastructure was planned in FY23; so was the case in FY22 as well.
Featured photograph (source: Linxon) is for representation only.