Centre to strengthen inter-state power grid

Aiming to overcome power shortages due to poor transmission network, the Centre proposes to launch a programme to strengthen inter-state and inter-regional transmission capacity.

Power Minister Piyush Goyal, who has been meeting various stakeholders on problems faced by power sector, asked the officials to prepare a plan to strengthen the inter-regional grid across the country.

Though the blue print of the project is not yet ready, sources in the ministry told Deccan Herald that the Centre would fund the project and may also ask the states to participate by sharing the cost.

The ministry envisages the development of 28,000 MW of inter-regional transmission capacity over the next three years, which would enhance the total capacity to more than 66,000 MW by 2017, sources said.

Earlier, an expert committee constituted by the ministry had suggested urgent strengthening of the inter-regional power corridor to bring power from eastern and north eastern parts of the country to other regions. With the demand for electricity in north, south and western regions of the country set to grow in the coming years, it would be better to strengthen the corridor to evacuate  electricity from eastern and north eastern region.

The report said in eastern and north eastern regions, power generation will increase in the coming years due to a number of mega power projects coming up, mainly in the  hydroelectric sector and the excess power could be brought to power starved western and northern regions, said the report.

Regional transmission grid strengthening will also help to reduce the technical and commercial loss which is now 39 per cent, said the report. The aim is to bring down the loss to 20.5 per cent by 2022.

The Ministry’s existing scheme of Restructured Accelerated Power Development Reforms Programme (R-APDRP), under which upgradation of existing distribution networks is taken up in collaboration with states, is also focusing on reducing the technical and commercial loss.