ABB partners with Power Grid Corp for power line

NEW DELHI: ABB and Power Grid Corporation of India entered into a partnership for a ₹4,350 crore-plus project to connect Raigarh in Central India to Pugalur in Tamil Nadu by building an 1,830 km power line — one of the longest in the world. “With a capacity of 6,000 megawatts – the equivalent of more than six large power plants – it will be enough to meet the electricity needs of over 80 million people in India,” ABB said in a release. “The two-way link will integrate thermal and wind energy for transmission of power to high consumption centers located thousands of kilometers away, supporting electricity demands in the south, when wind strength is low, and transmitting clean energy to the north, when there is excess wind power. The total project value is worth more than ₹5,700 crore and the balance will be executed by ABB’s consortium partner Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, a leading Indian public sector company,” the release added. “The order was booked in the fourth quarter of 2016. This mega project is expected to be completed in 2019.”