The Andhra Pradesh Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (AP-SPDCL) has pegged the estimated power requirement of the government offices and residential complex for All India Services Officers, MLCs and MLAs in the 16.9 square kilometre core capital area of Amaravati at 70 Megawatts.
According to official sources, the DISCOM is prepared to float tenders as and when the AP-Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) sends a requisition, for setting up new substations and augmenting the infrastructure in the next couple of years.
To meet this immediate need for power, an SPDCL official told The Hindu , that at least two 400/220 KV and four 220/33 KV substations along with transmission line infrastructure are required to be put in place for the government office and residential complex that will be spread in Uddandarayunipalem, Lingayapalem and Tallayapalem.
A total of four 400/220 KV and 17 220/33 KV substations and more than 160 switching stations are to be set in over a decade when the capital city is likely to become fully functional.
Compensation issue
Power is to be drawn from the existing substations at Tadikonda, Gunadala, Nunna and other places and necessary capacity additions made to distribute the loads. A few gas-insulated substations have been planned to be constructed in the capital region, including in Vijayawada city, and some of them have started taking a tangible shape.
Scores of towers are to be erected amidst stiff resistance from farmers whose demand for adequate compensation has been a long-pending issue which the energy Department and A.P. Electricity Regulatory Commission are trying to sort out.
