The Ministry of Power has invited bids for nine new transmission projects with an aggregate cost of ₹12,500 crore, as it seeks to fast-track the capacity building of inter-State transmission lines. The projects will be developed through the tariff-based competitive bidding process, which will invite participation from all bidders, including the private sector.

The nine projects will benefit States such as Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and others by setting up high capacity 765kV lines carrying up to 2,100 MW each from the construction of new 765/400 kV substations.

The new transmission lines will also reduce congestion in Haryana by strengthening the Northern Transmission system.

“The projects will help evacuate power from central generating power stations such as the 660 MW Sipat of NTPC, the 1,600 MW Gadarwara as well as private sector generating stations such as the Sassan Ultra Mega Power Project with 1,320 MW,” a statement from the Power Ministry said.

“These projects were stuck in the approval process in the Government over the past several months,” the Power Ministry said. “The approval to go ahead with the implementation was granted immediately.”

The largest of the nine projects is for a transmission system which will be associated with NTPC’s 1,600 MW Gadarwara project and would entail a cost of ₹4,885 crore in two parts. Strengthening of transmission lines of NTPC’s Sipat power stations would entail a cost of Rs 2,473 crore.

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

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