India’s transmission sector is getting some much needed funding in order to meet the country’s growing solar installations. Fifty-seven inter-regional power transmission projects have been approved under the Power System Development Fund program. These projects will cost Rs.72.68 billion (~$1.09 billion), stated Mr. Piyush Goyal, Minister for Power, in the Lok Sabha.

The program can be utilized to create the necessary transmission systems of strategic importance based on operational feedback by load dispatch centers for relieving congestion in inter-state transmission systems and intra-state transmission system.

The development of these inter-regional transmission projects will help ensure 100 percent grid-connectivity across the length and breadth of India, stated an official at Ministry of Power. These projects are not sector-specific; they will be utilized to evacuate power from all sources, thermal and renewable, added the Ministry of Power official.

Inter-regional transmission corridors are being developed for the transfer of power from surplus states to deficit states on a short-term basis, said Mr. Goyal. A number of inter-regional transmission links have been planned which interconnect the five: Northern, Western, Southern, Eastern and North Eastern regional grids. Total inter-regional transmission capacity stands at 63,650 MW as of January 2017, added Mr. Goyal.

Mercom has previously reported on the development of the inter-state and intra-state transmission network under the Green Energy Corridor program.