India’s national power transmission network has crossed 5 lakh circuit kilometres (ckm) of high-voltage lines, marking a major expansion of the grid as the country scales up renewable energy capacity.
The milestone was achieved on January 14 with the commissioning of a 765 kV transmission line from Bhadla II to Sikar II in Rajasthan, enabling the evacuation of an additional 1,100 MW of renewable power from the Bhadla, Ramgarh and Fatehgarh solar parks, according to the Ministry of Power.
Since April 2014, the transmission network has expanded by 71.6 percent, with the addition of 2.09 lakh ckm of lines and an increase of 876 GVA in transformation capacity. The total transformation capacity now stands at 1,407 GVA, while inter-regional power transfer capacity has reached 1,20,340 MW, allowing seamless transfer of electricity across regions.
Officials said ongoing inter-state transmission projects will add about 40,000 ckm of lines and 399 GVA of capacity, while intra-state projects under implementation are expected to contribute another 27,500 ckm and 134 GVA. The expansion is aimed at supporting the integration of non-fossil power generation targeted at 500 GW by 2030.
