BANGALORE: The Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL) is planning to invest Rs 5,100 crore over the next 24 months to upgrade lines and instal new sub-stations, said Energy Minister D K Shivakumar.
He was speaking after approving KPTCL’s annual plan for the year 2014-15. For the current financial year, Rs1,117 crore has been allotted for major infrastructure works and other expenses like maintenance and audit works.
Around Rs 727.58 crore will be used to complete ongoing projects like setting up of 74 sub-stations, 55 transmission link lines and augmentation of transformer capacity. These works will be completed by middle of next year, the minister said. In addition, 40 new sub-stations, 84 transmission link lines and augmentation of 120 transformers will be taken up in this year.
“Three 400 kV stations will be built at Gulbarga, Chikkanayakanahalli and Bellary at a cost of Rs 3,000 crore to evacuate close to 3,100 MW of power. This will be added in the next three years at Yermarus (1,600 MW), Edlapura (800 MW) and Bellary (700 MW) Thermal Power Stations. This will help improve the availability of power to the state grid,” he said. The minister also stressed the need to align the state’s transmission network with the rest of the country in order to achieve the ‘one nation one grid’ aim.
A 4,000 MW thermal power plant at Kudgi in Bijapur being developed by the NTPC will also be linked via a 765 kV line besides linking the southern grid to the rest of the country. Grid security measures, which will be incorporated into operations will be developed at a cost of Rs 77.6 crore within a year.
“A grant of Rs 23 crore is expected from the Central Electricity Authority from the Power System Development Fund,” said G Kumar Nayak, MD, KPTCL.
Infrastructure will also be developed for the proper evacuation of renewable energy without affecting the grid. Three 400 kV substations at Dhoni (Gadag), Mughalkod (Belgaum) and Jagalur in Chitradurga district and two 220 kV stations at Shivanasamudra and Hosadurga will come up at a cost of Rs 1,100 crore. Only 20 per cent of the required fund will be paid by the state government and the remaining will be shared equally by the Central government as grants and Germany as soft loan.
Ministry of Environment and Forests approval for the project is in its final stages, Nayak said.
DKS vows to rid Bangalore of Power Woes
Promising to deal with Bangalore’s power woes, Shivakumar said that the city’s transmission lines and sub-stations were always overloaded which made it impossible to shift power from one station to another in case of any emergency. “We have identified 36 works to be taken up this year at a cost of Rs 2,027 crore. They will be completed in two years,” he said.