Maharashtra faces repeated load shedding amid transmission congestion

Maharashtra’s transmission network is facing increasing operational stress due to congestion on key transmission corridors, resulting in repeated Demand Load Shedding (DLS), according to discussions held during the recent Maharashtra Transmission Committee (MTC) meeting. 

Minutes of the meeting released by Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Company Limited (MSETCL) show that repeated overloading of the 400 kV Chakan-Talegaon transmission line led to DLS events on five consecutive days between April 10, 2026 and April 15, 2026.

The load shedding incidents occurred during solar peak hours between 15:09 hrs and 17:15 hrs, with load curtailment ranging between 45 MW and 225 MW during individual events.

765 kV line increased power inflow

The Chief Engineer of the State Load Despatch Centre (SLDC), Maharashtra, informed the committee that the commissioning of the 765 kV Navsari-Padghe double-circuit line in March 2026 significantly increased power inflow into Maharashtra from Gujarat during solar hours.

According to the SLDC, the line added around 2,000 MW to 2,500 MW of additional flow through the Gujarat flow gate into Maharashtra. This increased inflow aggravated congestion on the Chakan-Talegaon corridor and reduced the effectiveness of Koyna hydro generation for balancing operations.

Voltage and reactive power issues

The committee was also informed about under-voltage conditions at several 400 kV substations, including Chakan, Jejuri, Lonikand-I, Lonikand-II and Karjat.

At the 400 kV Karjat substation, voltage levels reportedly fell below 380 kV on January 16, January 20 and January 29, 2026.

The SLDC further highlighted a major gap between planned and commissioned capacitor bank infrastructure in the Pune region. As of March 31, 2026, only 275 MVAr of capacitor bank capacity had been commissioned against a planned requirement of 1,300 MVAr at the high-voltage level.

Cable faults and renewable curtailment

The meeting minutes also highlighted prolonged outages caused by cable faults.

The 220 kV Ulwe-Waghivali Circuit-II has remained under forced shutdown since June 25, 2024 due to a cable fault, resulting in an outage period exceeding 630 days. In addition, the 220 kV Uran-Ulwe Circuit-II cable failed on March 1, 2026.

The committee also reviewed renewable energy curtailment in the Solapur-Dharashiv region due to congestion on 132 kV transmission lines.

On April 5, 2026, around 887 MW of solar generation was curtailed to manage grid frequency conditions.

Corrective measures planned

The MTC directed MSETCL, Tata Power Company (TPC) and Adani Electricity Mumbai Limited (AEML) to expedite implementation of multiple corrective measures.

The measures include High Temperature Low Sag (HTLS) reconductoring of several 220 kV transmission lines, strengthening downstream evacuation infrastructure, addition of Inter-Connecting Transformer (ICT) capacity at Kudus and Alkud substations, and resolution of overloading on the 220 kV Nashik-Babhaleshwar double-circuit line before the Nashik Kumbh Mela 2027.

The committee expressed concern regarding increasing transmission congestion, recurring renewable energy curtailment and grid constraints, noting that unresolved issues could affect grid stability and reliability of power supply to consumers.

The featured photograph is for representation only.