PGCIL completes delayed interstate transmission system for Rajasthan’s solar energy zones

Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL) recently commissioned an interstate transmission system (ISTS) under “Powergrid Bhadla Transmission Ltd.” The project, officially named the “Transmission system strengthening scheme for evacuation of power from solar energy zones in Rajasthan (8.1 GW) under Phase-II, Part B,” was completed in August 2024, nearly two years behind schedule.

This Rs 11.06 billion scheme, awarded to PGCIL under the Tariff-Based Competitive Bidding (TBCB) route, involved the construction of a 405-ckm 765kV double-circuit line from the Fatehgarh-II Pooling Station to Bhadla-II Pooling Station. It also included two 765kV line bays at Bhadla-II for the line’s termination.

The project faced delays due to concerns about the transmission line passing through areas inhabited by the endangered Great Indian Bustard (GIB). In July 2022, a Supreme Court-appointed committee cleared the project but required a rerouting, which added 25 ckm to the original line length and increased the project cost by over 50%, from an initial estimate of Rs 7.14 billion.

This ISTS scheme is part of a broader initiative to build transmission infrastructure for evacuating 20 GW of power from Rajasthan’s solar energy zones. PGCIL won the project by quoting an annualized tariff of Rs 728.93 million during an e-reverse auction held in January 2021.