The A.P-Transco is preparing to shift eight extra high tension lines passing right through the middle of the seed capital and replace the conventional towers there with spun or mono poles at a total estimated cost of ₹500 crore.
However, as far as the conductors are concerned, the ball is in the court of the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA), which was asked by the power utility to choose a couple of options: re-route them over-head along the fringes of the seed capital or put them underground.
Being the owner of the lands, the CRDA has to bear the costs, and the survey for realignment or shifting of the EHT lines has been completed by the Transco, said Joint Managing Director Dinesh Paruchuri.
Underground cabling
Speaking to The Hindu , Mr. Dinesh asserted that the underground cabling involved advanced technologies and might require invitation of international of bids. Construction of spun poles (made of metal) would need far less land than the massive towers.
“The world over you will find these type of transmission lines in cities and similar infrastructure can be created in Amaravati without any great difficulty,” Mr. Dinesh stated. The towers and line shifting can be done in 18 months excluding the tendering process.
Meanwhile, a separate plan has been drawn up for 'ring-fencing’ of the capital to supply power round the clock 24×7.
This project comprises the construction of 400 kV substations at Chilakaluripet, Eluru and Gudivada and connecting them to provide uninterrupted power suppy to Amaravati through a network of smaller intermediate substations located in the capital villages.
This particular project entails an expenditure of approximately ₹1,000 crore.
Besides, Transco officials have turned their attention to the evacuation of 960 Megawatts of hydel power from Polavaram as the works have been expedited.
Renewable venture
Mr. Dinesh further said a tender has been called for the establishment of a 5 Megawatt solar plant along with storage facility in the purview of Eastern DISCOM as a pilot to make a few hundreds of agricultural pumps ‘grid independent’.
Tesla is one of the several companies which has evinced interest and it is expected to chip in with the storage solution.
