 "Rs 4 trillion transmission infra required to meet 2027 power demand: CEA")
To meet an expected power demand of 277 gigawatt (Gw) by 2027, India will require an investment of Rs 4.25 trillion in power transmission infrastructure, according to the latest National Electricity Plan (NEP) on transmission released by the Central Electricity Authority.
The Central Electricity Authority is the technical arm of the Ministry of Power.
The NEP, which comes in two parts — generation and transmission — is a guiding report on power infrastructure planning. Last year, NEP-generation provided estimates on source-wise electricity generation and demand scenarios for the decade.
Based on the planned generation capacity addition and projected electricity demand, NEP-transmission has suggested the construction of 114,687 circuit kilometre (ckm) of transmission lines and 776,330 megavolt-ampere (MVA) of transformation capacity (220 kilovolt/kV and above voltage levels) by 2027.
It indicated that 1 Gw of high-voltage direct current (HVDC) bipole capacity is also planned to be added during 2022-27.
“An estimated expenditure of Rs 4,25,222 crore (Rs 4.25 trillion) will be required for the implementation of additional transmission systems in the country (transmission lines, substations, reactive compensation, etc.) during the period 2022-27,” the report noted.
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HVDC is a technology that enables the transmission of large amounts of electricity over long distances.
“With the planned addition, the length of transmission lines and transformation capacity in substations (220 kV and above voltage levels) would reach 571,403 ckm and 1,847,280 MVA, respectively. The HVDC bipole capacity, including back-to-back capacity, would increase to 34.5 Gw.”
The report noted that, over the years, inter-regional power transmission capacity has grown considerably, facilitating the transfer of electricity from surplus to deficit regions. The aggregate inter-regional transmission capacity by the end of 2021-22 was 112 Gw, with an inter-regional transmission capacity addition planned during the period 2022-27 of 30.6 Gw. Consequently, the inter-regional transmission capacity would increase to 142 Gw by the end of 2026-27, NEP noted.
Highlighting the contribution that energy storage will have, the NEP said that the transmission system for evacuating power from renewable energy (RE) potential zones has been planned, considering a battery energy storage system capacity of 47.2 Gw during 2027-32. This reduces the requirement for the transmission system and increases its utilisation, the report added.
The report also provided broad estimates of power demand and transmission requirements between 2027 and 2032, with a larger role being played by RE-rich regions.
“The RE potential zones in the country are primarily located in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Leh. A transmission system has been planned for over 600 Gw of RE capacity/potential zones by the year 2031-32,” the report said.
“Considering the planned generation capacity addition and projected electricity demand, about 76,787 ckm of transmission lines and 497,855 MVA of transformation capacity in substations (220 kV and above voltage levels) are planned to be added during the period 2027-32. Additionally, 32 Gw of HVDC bipole capacity is also planned to be added during 2027-32,” it noted.