The addition of 72,705 mega volt amp (MVA) of sub-stations commissioned in FY19 is about 16 per cent lower than that in the previous fiscal, and the slowest pace recorded since FY16.
Even as capacity addition in power transmission is crucial to support the upcoming renewable generation capacities and make transmission infrastructure more flexible to accommodate the evolving trends in power consumption, the pace of adding new electricity lines has hit a four-year low in FY19. A total of 22,437 circuit kilometre (ckm) of transmission lines have been added in the fiscal, three per cent lower than in the preceeding fiscal.
Similarly, the addition of 72,705 mega volt amp (MVA) of sub-stations commissioned in FY19 is about 16 per cent lower than that in the previous fiscal, and the slowest pace recorded since FY16. Contrary to their state-run counterparts, the private sector players have laid down 66 per cent more transmission lines year-on-year (y-o-y) by commissioning 3,840 ckm in FY19.
However, on the sub-station front, the private sector could only build 840 MVA capacity, sharply lower than the 8,670 MVA it had set up in FY18. Central government-run Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCIL) commissioned 35,945 MVA sub-stations in FY19, a y-o-y increase of 6.7 per cent.
State-owned agencies commissioned 35,920 MVA sub-stations in FY19, 18 per cent lower than FY18. The development takes place with the Central Electricity Authority estimating investment requirement of about Rs 2.7 lakh crore to commission 1.1 lakh ckm of new transmission lines and 3.8 lakh MVA of additional sub-stations to cater to annual peak load demand of 225.7 GW by FY22-end.
The creation of 175 GW renewable capacities, which are intermittent and unpredictable, is seen to necessitate a significant ramp up in power transmission infrastructure. Inadequate transmission infrastructure has been a longstanding impediment to renewable power developers, often delaying project commissioning. This has already forced the government to reduce capacities offered in wind auctions by more than 50 per cent. —FE
Source: indianexpress
