Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL) has been awarded two transmission projects by PFC Consulting Limited to evacuate 15.5 GW of power from renewable energy zones in Karnataka and Rajasthan. The projects involve the development of transmission systems to integrate the Davanagere/Chitradurga and Bellary renewable energy zones in Karnataka and the augmentation of substations in Fatehgarh-II PS, Fatehgarh-IV PS (Section II), and Barmer-I PS in Rajasthan.
The Karnataka transmission project includes the establishment of a 765/400/220 kV pooling substation near Davanagere/Chitradurga and a 400/220 kV cooling substation near Bellary, along with 765 kV and 400 kV double-circuit transmission lines and upgradation of existing substations and transmission lines. The system will facilitate the evacuation of 4 GW from Davanagere/Chitradurga and 1.5 GW from Bellary. The project is required to be completed within 24 months. The tender was issued in June 2024, with PGCIL securing the project over other technically qualified bidders, including Sterlite Grid 32, Adani Energy Solutions, JSW Neo Energy, and Dineshchandra R Agarwal Infracon.
The Rajasthan transmission project involves augmenting interconnection transformers at various substations to enable power evacuation from the Rajasthan Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) Phase IV. The works at Fatehgarh-II PS and Fatehgarh-IV PS (Section-II) must align with the REZ Phase IV schedule, while the work at Barmer-I PS must be completed within 21 months from the handover of the special purpose vehicle. The tender for the project was issued in October 2024. Apart from PGCIL, Apraava Energy was also technically qualified.