A green energy corridor linking Pugalur in Karur district in western Tamil Nadu with Raigarh in Chhattisgarh, work on which commenced last Sunday, will enable the southern State to transmit excess wind energy generated from the State to central India. Tamil Nadu with an installed wind energy capacity of 7,685 MW is a major wind energy producer in the country.
The project is being executed by ABB and BHEL as consortium partners and is helmed by the Power Grid Corporation of India. The two-way link, with a capacity of 6,000 MW, will integrate thermal and wind energy transmission to high consumption centres, according to ABB.
Balancing energy
When wind energy generation in Tamil Nadu is in excess it will be transmitted to central India, and when electricity demand is high in Tamil Nadu, thermal energy can be transmitted from central India to the south.
The Raigarh-Pugalur 800 kV ultra high voltage direct current system is ABB’s second UHVDC installation in the country, after the multi-terminal North-East Agra link, which is in the final phase of completion and has been partially energised.
While ABB will implement a portion for ₹4,350 crore, the balance will be executed by BHEL. The order was booked in the fourth quarter of 2016 and is expected to be completed in 2019. Works for the project started recently with a groundbreaking ceremony at Pugalur in Karur District in Tamil Nadu.
Pitamber Shivnani, president of Power Grids division of ABB India, said, for the company, the project encompasses design, engineering, supply, installation and commissioning. Civil and installation works will be sourced locally in the country and ABB will collaborate with BHEL for execution.
Via A.P., Telangana
The line will start from Tamil Nadu and pass through Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, to be connected to Raigarh in Chhattisgarh. The project is partly funded by an Asian Development Bank loan. The link can be used later for transmitting solar energy too.
K. Kasthurirangan, chairman of the Indian Wind Power Association, told The Hindu that this was a far-sighted project that will create the required transmission infrastructure for the increasing wind energy generation capacity in T.N.
The proposed 1,830 km transmission line will give a boost to investments in wind energy in the State and evacuation during the peak windy season (May to September) will improve.
The Tamil Nadu Transmission Corporation has already charged the Kayathar-Pugalur transmission line and transmits power generated in the southern districts of the State to the northern parts.
