The Western Region (WR) of the National Grid accounted for over half of the interregional electricity exchange in FY21. This is amongst the key finding of a special study by T&D India, based on official statistics released by Power System Operation Corporation Ltd (POSOCO).
The following are some highlights of the study:
- A total of 214,766 MU, or roughly 215 BU, was exchanged through the five regional grids—northern, western, southern, eastern and northeastern—during FY21 (April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021). These regions are denoted as NR, WR, SR, ER and NER.
- NR was the biggest importer of electricity with a quantum of 109 BU, accounting for 51 per cent of the total interregional electricity exchange.
- WR was the largest exporter of electricity. In FY21, WR exported 121 BU of electricity that meant 56 of the total interregional electricity exchange.
- The biggest interregional transfer was from WR to NR. A total of 79 BU was exchanged from WR to NR.
- Other significant interregional exchanges included ER to SR (around 35 BU) and WR to SR (around 30 BU)
- NR was also the biggest net importer of electricity in FY21, having exported under 17 BU but importing over 109 BU.
- SR also was a significant net importer of electricity in FY21, having exported 5 BU but importing nearly 65 BU.
- ER was a significant net exporter of electricity in FY21, having imported 15 BU but exporting over 67 BU.
Exchange versus Generation
In FY21, total electricity generation, from both conventional and renewable energy sources, stood at around 1,381 BU, based on statistics released by Central Electricity Authority (CEA). In FY21, the total interregional electricity exchange was 215 BU. This means that the quantum of interregional exchange was around 15.5 per cent of the total electricity generation.
This proportion will increase as and when new interregional power transmission capacity gets added. As of December 31, 2020, India’s total interregional power transmission capacity stood at around 104,223 mw (or 104 GW), nearly 85 per cent of which was owned by Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL). For a frame of reference, India’s total power generation capacity currently stands at around 382 GW. The ratio of interregional transfer capacity to total generation capacity therefore stands at 27 per cent. In other words, around one-fourth of India’s power generation capacity is available for interregional transfer. This is of course speaking at the broad national level, actual transfer between two specific regions depends on the transfer capacity available between the regions.
By end of FY21, India’s total interregional transfer capacity, which is the capacity of the National Grid, is expected to reach 118 GW.
Note: MU = million units = million kwh; BU = billion units = billion kwh = 1,000 MU
