| "We are trying to advance the creation of the nationwide power transmission network to 2009 from 2012," PowerGrid Chairman and Managing Director RP Singh said today at a seminar organised by the London School of Economics and the Confederation of Indian Industry. |
| Singh said the power transmission utility was preparing a status report for the government detailing its efforts to hasten the establishment of the network that could carry 30,000 mega-watts of power. |
| The implementation of the national grid will be spread over three phases. |
| Singh said PGCIL was in a position to pump in Rs 50,000 crore of the total Rs 75,000 crore outlay for the project. |
| He added that the existing electricity transmission network in the country was being strengthened to carry 23,000 mega-watts by 2007, up from 8,000 mega-watts at present. |
| The transmission network will address the long-standing problem of evacuating the excess capacity in the eastern region to parts facing power shortages. |
| Singh said the Tata power transmission line, which would carry power from Bhutan to the northern parts of the country, would be completed by 2006. The project, being jointly executed by PGCIL and Tata Power, is the first private-public venture in the area of power transmission. |
| He said the government needed to invest more in the country's transmission and distribution system. Till now, only 28 per cent of the total investments in the power sector has gone to this segment, against the 50 per cent that should have been earmarked. |
| Over the next 10-30 years, the government needs to allocate 40 per cent more funds in transmission and distribution than in electricity generation, Singh said. |
| He said estimates showed that $10 trillion would be invested in the power sector globally over the next 30 years, of which $660 billion would be invested in India. Over the next 10 years, investments in India's power sector are estimated at $200 billion, Singh said. |
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