VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC) has given in-principle approval for the revised transmission scheme to be established for evacuating (transmitting) power from the 960 Mega Watts (MW) Polavaram hydro electric power plant (HEP) to be commissioned by the State government. Further, the commission has directed APTransco to submit the comprehensive evacuation scheme.
Though the evacuation scheme was cleared by the commission in July, 2018, APTransco had submitted a revised plan, which included erection of a 400 KV line along the length of 60 km from Polavaram HEP to Guddigudem substation and other associated network works.
The earlier scheme proposed a line from the project to Kamavarapukota substation, but was later revised due to technical reasons, space constraints, and to overcome overloading conditions at Guddigudem station while evacuating power from the Polavaram hydel power plant.
This has led to an increase in the investment proposal from Rs 292 crore to Rs 358.10 crore. After holding public hearing on the revised scheme in March this year, the commission cleared APTransco's proposal.
Though a few objections were received in the hearings, the commission examined the load flow studies furnished by APTransco said that they were found to be technically feasible. It further added that the 400 KV Guddigudem SS has already been taken up by APTransco and was under construction.
"The commission accorded in-principle approval to the scheme proposed by APTransco i.e. 400 KV QDMC line from Polavaram HEP to 400/220/11 KV Guddigudem substation along with two 400 KV bay extensions at 400/220/11 KV Guddigudem substation. Further, APTransco is once again directed to submit a comprehensive scheme associated with the evacuation of 960 MW of hydel generation from Polavaram HEP," the commission said in its order dated November 12.