PFC Consulting issued a request for proposal (RfP) to establish an interstate transmission system (ISTS) for network strengthening at the Tumkur-II substation, Karnataka, to integrate an additional 2.7 GW of renewable energy.

Bids must be submitted by January 23, 2026. Bids will be opened on the same day.

Bidders must furnish an earnest money deposit of $145 million (~$1.63 million) and a document fee of ₹500,000 (~$5,639.72).

Selected bidders must submit a performance guarantee of $362.5 million (~$4.09 million).

The scope of work entails the design, engineering, construction, erection, and testing of all equipment, facilities, components, and systems of the transmission project. It also involves providing operation and maintenance services.

Establishing the transmission system will involve augmenting the Tumkur-II pooling station by 400/220 kV, 3×500 MVA ICTs (5th to 7th) and 400/220 kV, 3×500 MVA ICTs (8th to 10th).

It will also involve setting up the Tumkur-II – Madhugiri 400 kV (quad) D/C line and the ±300 MVAr static synchronous compensator at the pooling station, with the switching arrangement for the under-implementation 2×125 MVAr bus reactors. Two 220 kV line bays and four 220 kV line bays must be set up to terminate the dedicated transmission lines of renewable energy developers.

Selected bidders must conduct the land survey, formulate a detailed project report, arrange financing, and provide project management.

They must also obtain the project consents, clearances, transmission licenses, and permits. Additionally, they must seek approval from the Central Electricity Authority under Section 164 of the Electricity Act after acquiring the Tumkur II RE Transmission project.

Successful bidders must provide land compensation, equipment, and materials for the project. They must also provide the land for the greenfield substation.

The generation pooling substation must be set up within a 3 km radius of the project location; the load-serving substation must be within 5 km; and the intermediate substation must be within 10 km.

The project must be completed within 24 months.

Bidders must have developed projects in the infrastructure sector with a minimum aggregate capital expenditure of $7.25 billion (~$81.77 million) in the last five years. Each project must have had a capital expenditure of at least ₹1.45 billion (~$16.35 million).

Alternatively, bidders must have received at least $7.25 billion (~$81.77 million) in aggregate payments for completed construction work in the infrastructure sector in the last five financial years. Each project must have received a minimum payment of ₹1.45 billion (~$16.35 million).

Bidders must have had a minimum net worth of ₹2.9 billion (~$32.71 million) in any of the previous three financial years. Their net worth must not have been negative during this period.

Recently, PFC Consulting issued a request for proposal to set up an intrastate transmission system for the air-insulated substation at Kandalgaon in Maharashtra’s Raigad district on a build, own, operate, and transfer basis.

In September, Power Grid Corporation of India acquired Davanagere Power Transmission to establish a transmission system strengthening project in Davanagere, Karnataka, to support the integration of renewable energy.