Power Grid's XIth Plan capex to reach Rs55,000-crore

Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL) has earmarked capital expenditure of Rs55,000 crore for implementation of various transmission schemes and for enhancing grid capacity during the Eleventh Plan period (2007-12), power minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said today.

Announcing this at a meeting to review the performance of the Navratna PSU, Shinde said PGCIL has established a transmission network of about 77,500 circuit km, 132 sub-stations and a transformation capacity of about 89,000 MVA as of date.

"This growth appears all the more impressive, when you see that in 1992-1993, the network was only 22,220 circuit km, 42 sub-stations and a transformation capacity of 12,220 MVA. PGCIL has done a commendable job in developing the 'National Grid' to facilitate optimum utilisation of generating resources and meeting power demand in various parts of the country," Shinde said.

PGCIL, he said, also has an impressive track record on the financial front. At the end of the financial year 2009-10, the asset base of the company stood at Rs43,200 crore while its turnover and net profit increased to Rs7,504 crore and Rs2,041 crore, respectively.

The board of directors of Power Grid at its meeting on 6 August 2010 had approved augmentation of the 220/132 MW transmission capacity at Raebareli by 1x100MVA transformers, at an estimated cost of Rs10.57 crore.

Power Grid also proposed the setting up of a supplementary transmission system for the Vallur TPS at an estimated cost of Rs170.36 crore; strengethening of northern region grid scheme XXI at an estimated cost of Rs1,667.57 crore; split-bus arrangement and reconfiguration/shifting of terminating lines at 400 kV Raipur sub-station at an estimated cost of Rs15.35 crore.

PGCIL has also diversified into other synergetic businesses such as telecom and consultancy assignments at national and international levels to further enhance value for shareholders. PGCIL has remained at the top of the list of power companies in budget utilisation for over the past five years, he said.

PGCIL has managed to maintain the huge transmission network at an availability exceeding 99 per cent and ranks among the largest and best managed transmission utilities in the world.