Mumbai-based integrated power transmission developer Sterlite Power‘s Mumbai Urja Marg Transmission (MUML) commissioned a 400 kV transmission line in the Banaskantha, Kansari, and Vadavi regions of Gujarat, four months ahead of the scheduled time for completion.

The high voltage transmission line will be used to evacuate about 1,000 MW of renewable power from the pooling station at Bhuj in northern Gujarat to the national grid.

The transmission line is part of the longer Western Region Strengthening Program, which involves deploying 318 circuit kilometers (ckm) of lines and 1,000 MVA of transformation capacity in three separate parts.

Part-A entails deploying 35 ckm lines in Gujarat and is aimed at managing the distribution of renewable energy in the state to a larger consumer base. In Part B, a 1,000 MVA substation will be established in Vapi, along with 51 ckm transmission lines. Part-C involves setting up 179 ckm power lines for strengthening and decongesting the evacuation system in Mumbai.

Sterlite Power said the transmission line would significantly augment Gujarat’s available power transmission capacity from 9,300 MW to 11,200 MW.

Sterlite Power acquired the MUML special purpose vehicle in June 2020 to execute the large inter-state transmission system (ISTS) project. Power Finance Corporation provided the entire debt funding of ₹20.7 billion (~$259 million) for the project.

The 400 kV power line will also decongest the regional network by cutting the burden on existing transmission lines comprising 400 kV D/C Banaskantha-Veloda, 400 kV S/C Bhinmal-Zerda (Kansari), and 400 kV S/C Kankroli-Zerda (Kansari).

Manish Agarwal, Director & CEO, India Transmission Business, Sterlite Power, said, “The transmission corridors are critical infrastructure for India given their importance in connecting the power surplus centers with the power deficit corners. Not only this, but the success of transmission projects is also imperative to the country’s renewable energy vision as it is a critical enabler of RE integration into the grid.”

Sterlite Power has a robust portfolio of 30 projects covering approximately 14,602 ckm of transmission lines across India and Brazil.

Sterlite Power acquired Nangalbibra-Bongaigaon Transmission, a special purpose vehicle (SPV), from PFC Consulting last year. Nangalbibra-Bongaigaon Transmission is a 250 ckm of 400 kV Dc transmission line project connecting Bongaigaon in Assam to a greenfield substation at Nangalbibra in Meghalaya, 220/132 kV substation at Nangalbibra in Meghalaya, and 50 ckm km of 132 kV Dc line connecting Hatsinghmari in Assam to Ampati in Meghalaya. Sterlite has secured debt funding of ₹4.4 billion (~$57.19 million) from Tata Cleantech Capital for the project.