PowerGrid to invest Rs17,000 crore in projects in current fiscal

PowerGrid Corporation of India (PGCIL) has proposed an investment outlay of Rs17,000 crore for implementation of various projects under its transmission network expansion plan during the current financial year. The company is in the process of setting up nine transmission corridors of  ultra high transmission voltages such as 1,200 KV AC, the highest in the world, for long distance bulk power transfer.

The company is also working on a PPP model for indigenous manufacturing to make the country a manufacturing hub for electrical equipment for transmission and distribution, targeting developing countries such as Sarc and ME countries.

According to S K Chaturvedi, CMD, PGCIL, the company was in the process of setting up nine transmission corridors and to meet the requirements, the company would raise funds through all routes including external commercial borrowings, loans, internal accruals, suppliers' credit, etc.

Further, the company had plans to capitalise about Rs12,000 crore from its order book towards return on money and about 0.5 per cent from the regulator for completing the projects on time. The state-owned company hopes to achieve its target of 23 per cent growth in revenues and 30 per cent growth in net profit with the proposed projects.

For inter-state transmission system development Chaturvedi said an investment of around Rs55,000 crore has been planned by PGCIL during the 11th Plan. The 1,200 KV technology was being developed through a public private partnership model with an investment of Rs100 crore.

He said the company had established a test station at Bina in western region for the ultra high voltage transmissions in collaboration with 34 manufacturers for indigenous development.

Chaturvedi, who received the country's first 330KVA, 1,200kV transformer, indigenously manufactured by the Hyderabad-based Vijay Electricals, said the device would be tested at the earth station at Bina in Madhya Pradesh over a 1.6 km line for one year. (See: Vijai Electricals hands over highest voltage power transformer to PowerGrid)

He said the power transformers manufactured by Bhel and Crompton Greaves would also be tested at the yard. He said 32 indigenous makers of transformers would be involved in the testing.

Based on the requirement of transmission system under central sector as per proposed generation capacity of about 1,00,000 MW in 12th Plan, an outlay of about Rs100,000 crore had been envisaged by PowerGrid in 12th Plan which included addition of transmission lines, 70 sub stations and transformation capacity of 1,36,000 MVA.

As on 30 June it owned 83,400 kms of transmission lines, 138 numbers of EHV and HVDC substations and transmission capacity of about 93,400 MVA.

PowerGrid transmits 50 per cent of total power generated in the country over its transmission network and after commissioning and operating the 765 KV transmission system, it was now working on next higher transmission voltages of 1,200KV UHVAC and 800KV HVDC systems to increase power transfer capability for transfer of bulk power over long distances. In fact, a 6,000 MW HVDC bipole between north eastern region to northern region (Agra) had already commenced.

Meanwhile, PGCIL has on hand an order book size of Rs1,20,000 crore which its plans to implement over a period of three to five years.