Power Grid Corporation of India (POWERGRID) has won three major renewable energy transmission projects worth Rs 107.5 billion from REC Power Development and Consultancy (RECPDCL) through tariff-based competitive bidding. 

The projects include a transmission system for power evacuation from Rajasthan Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) Phase-V, an augmentation of transformation capacity at Banaskantha, Gujarat, and a transmission system for integrating Kurnool-IV REZ Phase-I in Andhra Pradesh. 

The Rajasthan REZ Phase-V project aims to evacuate 4 GW of renewable energy and was tendered in September 2024. POWERGRID competed with Resonia (Sterlite Power) and Adani Green Energy Solutions for this project. The winning bidder is responsible for designing, constructing, and commissioning the project per transmission service agreements and regulatory guidelines. 

The Gujarat project, tendered in October 2024, involves augmenting the Banaskantha (Raghanesda) substation’s transformation capacity with 2×500 MVA, 400/220 kV ICTs to support the evacuation of 700 MW from the Gujarat Power Corporation’s Raghanesda Ultra Mega Solar Power Park. POWERGRID and KCC Buildcom were the qualified bidders for this project. 

The third project in Andhra Pradesh involves establishing an interstate transmission system (ISTS) to evacuate 4.5 GW of power from the Kurnool-IV REZ Phase-I. Tendered in October 2024, POWERGRID competed with Resonia, Adani Green Solutions, Megha Engineering & Infrastructure, and Tata Power Company. The project will be developed on a build, own, operate, and transfer (BOOT) basis. 

In a related initiative, POWERGRID recently invited bids for installing 7 MW of rooftop solar systems on its buildings in northern and western regions under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. 

(Mercom)