The quantum of power transmission infrastructure addition is falling significantly short of target, as evinced by official statistics.
Latest statistics released by Central Electricity Authority (CEA) clearly points out to the fact that addition of new power transmission infrastructure – transmission lines and substations – during the first ten months (April to January) of FY25 is way below the planned addition.
Here is a summary of findings:
- In the April-January period of FY25, a total of 6,327 ckm of transmission lines were added. This was just 51 per cent of the planned addition of 12,328 ckm. Further, this addition was 37 per cent lower than the actual addition of 9,985 ckm in the same period of FY24.
- Of the 6,327 ckm added, state government had the highest contribution of 56 per cent, followed by Central utilities with 31 per cent and private sector, 13 per cent. From the voltage-class perspective, the 220kV category had a share of 39 per cent, closely followed by the 400kV class with 37 per cent. The remaining 24 per cent came from 765kV lines.
- For the whole of FY25 (April to March), the transmission line addition target has been set at 15,253 ckm, which is 7.4 per cent higher than the 14,203 ckm actually added in FY24.
- Given that just 6,327 ckm has been added in the first ten months, as much as 8,926 ckm would need to be commissioned in just two months (February and March 2025), if the target were to be met. This looks highly improbable. It is therefore likely that CEA will downwardly revise the target, and that too substantially, in keeping with the performance so far.
- In the April-January period of FY25, transformation (substation) capacity addition stood at 51,500 MVA. Though this was 14.7 per cent higher than the 44,908 MVA added in the same period of FY24, it fell short of the planned addition by around 33 per cent.
- State government utilities accounted for nearly half of the 51,500 MVA added, followed by Central utilities with a share of 41 per cent. The private sector contributed to less than 10 per cent of the total addition in the April-January period of FY25.
- The FY25 target for substation capacity addition is a whopping 112,435 MVA, which is nearly 60 per cent higher than the 70,728 MVA actually commissioned in FY24. At the end of ten months of FY25, barely 46 per cent of the whole year’s target has been achieved. Just like in the case of transmission lines, CEA is likely to make a downward revision in the FY25 target for substation capacity addition.
- Within the Central government ownership, Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL) accounted for almost the entire addition during the April-January period of FY25, both in terms of transmission lines and substations. The only other entity in this ownership – Damodar Valley Corporation – made a relatively negligible contribution.
- Speaking of quantum of transmission line addition in the first ten months of FY25 by state government utilities, leading states were Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. In terms of private sector entities, significant contribution was made by Sterlite Power (now “Resonia”). In terms of substation capacity addition, leading states were Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Note: This story takes into account transmission lines and substations of 220kV or higher. No HVDC-based transmission infrastructure has been planned for FY25. Featured photograph (source: Onix Renwable Ltd) is for representation only.
