POWERGRID wins WR-ER inter-regional transmission project
Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID) has been declared the successful bidder for the “WR-ER Inter-Regional Network Expansion Scheme Part-A” transmission project. The project was awarded through the Tariff-Based Competitive Bidding (TBCB) route on a Build, Own, Operate, and Transfer (BOOT) basis, with REC Power Development and Consultancy Limited (RECPDCL) acting as the Bid Process Coordinator (BPC).
Project model
The project is designed to strengthen the inter-regional transmission network between the Western Region (WR) and Eastern Region (ER). The overall Scheduled COD is 36 months from the Effective Date. Transmission charges were quoted as a single annual charge for 35 years, and the project assets are to be transferred to the Central Transmission Utility (CTU) at zero cost after 35 years from COD.
Bidding process
The Request for Proposal (RFP) was issued on January 2, 2026. The qualified bidders in the technical bid were Adani Energy Solutions Limited, Dilip Buildcon Limited, Dineshchandra R. Agrawal Infracon Private Limited, POWERGRID, Resonia Limited, and Terralight Solar Energy Tinwari Private Limited. Shivalaya Construction Limited was declared non-responsive as their bid did not meet the technical qualification requirements.
Scope
The transmission project includes several components with staggered commissioning schedules.
Phase 1 is scheduled for 24 months from the Effective Date and includes the establishment of a 3×1500 MVA, 765/400kV Substation at Raigarh (Kotra)-II, Chhattisgarh (6.92% charge recovery), extension at Raigarh (Kotra)-II for 2x800MW Raigarh TPS (6.45% charge recovery), LILO of Dharamjaygarh (Sec-B) – Jharuguda (Sec-A) 765 kV D/c line (8.13% charge recovery), and installation of a new 1×1500 MVA ICT at Jeerat (New) Substation (2.29% charge recovery).
Phase 2 is scheduled for 30 months from the Effective Date and covers the establishment of a 2×1500 MVA, 765/400 kV Substation at Jamshedpur (New), Jharkhand (10.17% charge recovery), LILO of Ranchi (New) – Medinipur 765 kV D/c line (11.40% charge recovery), and LILO of Ranchi (New) – New PPSP 400 kV D/c line (8.52% charge recovery).
Phase 3 is scheduled for 36 months from the Effective Date and includes multiple extension and bypass works, including the Raigarh (Tamnar) – Jamshedpur (New) 765 kV D/c line, which has 33.93% charge recovery and is the largest single component.
Significance
The project is intended to improve India’s inter-regional transmission infrastructure and increase power transfer capacity between the Western and Eastern regions. The new substations in Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, along with transmission lines passing through Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha, are expected to support grid stability and power evacuation in these regions.
The project also includes infrastructure for future expansion, reflecting planning for rising energy demand.
Related development
This comes after H.G. Infra Engineering Limited (HGFINRA) received a letter of intent (LOI) from REC Power Development and Consultancy Limited (RECPDCL) for development of the interstate transmission system associated with the “WR-ER Inter-Regional Network Expansion Scheme – Part C” in Jharkhand under the tariff-based competitive bidding (TBCB) route.
The featured photograph is for representation only.