In a first, Tamil Nadu eyes PPP route for Rs 4,500 crore power transmission project
The new substation will be established in Uthukuli, Tirupur, on a 100-acre site, and the acquisition of 32 acres is currently in progress.
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CHENNAI: In a first, the Tamil Nadu Transmission Corporation (Tantransco) is planning to take the tariff-based competitive bidding (TBCB) route to develop a greenfield 765/400 kV substation in the Coimbatore Region, along with associated transmission lines spanning 240 km from Ariyalur to Tirupur where the new facility will be established.
The new 765 kV substation and its connected transmission lines, estimated to cost Rs 4,500 crore, are part of Tantransco's 765 kV network, which aims to minimise transmission losses when transporting power over long distances to various load centres across the State. The new substation will be established in Uthukuli, Tirupur, on a 100-acre site, and the acquisition of 32 acres is currently in progress.
"Given that Coimbatore is a major load centre, we have decided to export power from the North Chennai Pooling Station to the Coimbatore Region via the Ariyalur 765 kV substation," a senior official told DT Next.
The Coimbatore 765/400 kV Substation is intended to supply power to the 230 kV substations at OK Mandabam, Ponnapuram, Selvapuram, and Palladam through 47 km of sanctioned 400 kV feeder lines connecting to the Edayarpalayam 400 kV Substation.
The Tamil Nadu Infrastructure Development Board has issued a tender to appoint a transaction advisor for the tariff-based competitive bidding. By taking this route, the State utility can avoid upfront investment in the transmission infrastructure, said an official.
The official also indicated that after appointing the consultant, a subsidiary company will be formed to act as the transmission service provider to initiate project execution.
As part of the 765 kV transmission network, the 765 kV North Chennai Pooling Station (NCPS) has been established to evacuate power from the newly commissioned 800 MW NCTPS Stage III project. It will also support power evacuation from the proposed 1,320 MW Ennore Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Thermal Power Plant and the 660 MW ETPS Expansion project.
The transmission network includes the 765 kV substation at NCPS and the substation at Ariyalur, both of which have been commissioned, while works are ongoing commission the 765 kV substation at Virudhunagar.