Power sector in the State is set to receive a big boost, with four high-capacity lines being laid as part of the Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS). Once the system is commissioned, the State will be able to draw power from these lines crossing the southern and eastern region corridors, thereby meeting its growing demand in the next five years.
The four lines under execution are Angul (Odisha)–Srikakulam–Vemagiri (East Godavari); Nellore–Kurnool; Kurnool–Thiruvallam (Kerala); Vijayawada–Nellore and Gooty (Anantapur)–Madhugiri (Karnataka). The first three lines are 765 KV Direct Current (DC) lines, while the remaining are 400 KV DC lines.
The new ISTS lines and some other projects are being implemented at an estimated cost of Rs. 9,400 crore. The length of 765 KV lines is 1,945 circuit km and 400 KV lines 2,605 circuit km with a total transmission capacity of 10,500 Mega Volt Amperes (MVA) per day, according to sources. The new schemes, which are meant for augmentation of the existing transmission network in the State, will cost nearly Rs. 12,880 crore, apart from the expenditure on ISTS.
According to an assessment made by APTransco, the requirement of electricity – both energy and peak demand – in the State is expected to go up significantly from the current level of 43,684 Million Units (MU) and 6,158 Mega Watts (MW) to 82,392 MU and 13,436 MW, respectively, by 2018-1019. This needs a robust transmission network and facilities to draw power from the national grid. Accordingly, the government is planning a major upgrading of the ISTS and intra-State networks.
Source:The Hindu
