The Indian electricity regulator Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has approved the execution of the proposed transmission system for the evacuation of 8 GW of power from solar and wind energy zones in the southern region, including 2.5 GW in Koppal, 2.5 GW in Karur, 2.5 GW in Gadag and 500 MW in Tuticorin-II.
Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL), through its subsidiary Central Transmission Utility of India (CTU), had earlier filed a petition to execute power transmission infrastructures for up to 18.5 GW of renewables energy zones in southern India (10 GW of solar and 8.5 GW of wind). However, 10.5 GW out of the proposed 18.5 GW was suspended due to non-receipt of long-term access (LTA) applications.
PGCIL, a centrally-owned company, operates more than 90% of India’s interstate network, covering 172,000 km (May 2021), with 445 GVA of transformation capacity, and wheels almost half of all transmitted electricity. The company is in charge of integrating the regional networks and, in the long term, of managing the entire transmission network. In September 2020, it commissioned the 1,765 km first phase of the 6 GW Raigarh Pugalur HVDC transmission project.