Six bidders qualify for Lakadia II Power transmission project
REC Power Development and Consultancy Limited (RECPDCL), the Bid Process Coordinator, has announced six qualified bidders for the “Transmission system for Integration of Power from RE Projects in Lakadia REZ in Gujarat-Phase II (7500MW)” project following the opening of technical bids. The project scope has been revised after uncertainty over the proposed transmission system for Green Hydrogen and Green Ammonia projects in the Kandla region.
Adani Energy Solutions Limited, Dineshchandra R. Agrawal Infracon Private Limited, Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Limited, Power Grid Corporation of India Limited, Reliance Industries Limited and Resonia Limited qualified for the bidding process. All six bidders participated as sole bidders with 100% equity contribution.
Dilip Buildcon Limited was declared non-responsive because its bid did not meet the technical qualification requirements under the Request for Proposal (RFP).
Scope revision
The project is an Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) scheme planned to evacuate 7.5 GW of renewable energy capacity from the Lakadia area of Gujarat. More than 11 GW of RE capacity applications have been received in the region, creating the requirement for a new Lakadia-II substation to evacuate the balance 7.5 GW.
The original configuration envisaged a Loop-in Loop-out (LILO) of the Halvad–Kandla 765 kV double-circuit line at the proposed Lakadia-II substation. The National Committee on Transmission (NCT) has since approved a revised configuration following the stalling of the “Transmission System for supply of power to Green Hydrogen/Ammonia manufacturing potential in Kandla area of Gujarat (Phase-I: 3 GW)” project.
Revised configuration
Under the revised plan, the LILO connection with Kandla has been replaced by a new Lakadia-II–Halvad 765 kV double-circuit transmission line of approximately 140 km. The line will bypass the proposed Kandla node and route power directly to Halvad.
The revised project scope includes a 765/400 kV and 400/220 kV Lakadia-II Substation near Chitrod, with 6x 1,500 MVA 765/400 kV auto-transformers and 10x 500 MVA 400/220 kV auto-transformers. The substation will also have 2x 330 MVAr and 2x 125 MVAr bus reactors, with 765 kV, 400 kV and 220 kV levels arranged in two sections with sectionalizer arrangements.
The scheme also provides for two synchronous condensers, each with a minimum +300/-200 MVAr rating, a Short Circuit Contribution of 1,200 MVA and a minimum inertia value of 3,000 MW-s.
The 765 kV transmission network will comprise the Lakadia-II–Halvad double-circuit line of approximately 140 km, with associated bays and switchable line reactors at both ends; the Lakadia-II–Ahmedabad double-circuit line of approximately 190 km, with 330 MVAr switchable line reactors at the Lakadia-II end; and the Lakadia-II–Vataman double-circuit line of approximately 220 km, with 240 MVAr switchable line reactors at both ends. The project also includes two 765 kV line bays each at the Ahmedabad and Vataman substations.
Provision has been made for six additional 765 kV line bays, two additional 765 kV bus reactors and seven additional 400 kV line bays. The design also includes space for a future 6,000 MW, ±800 kV high-voltage direct current (HVDC) terminal station and additional synchronous condensers.
Following the revision, the estimated cost of the Lakadia Phase II transmission scheme has increased to Rs 8,238 crore. The project will be implemented on a Build, Own, Operate, and Transfer (BOOT) basis through Lakadia II Power Transmission Limited, the project’s special purpose vehicle (SPV).
The featured photograph is for representation only.
