Tuesday 1 October 2013

Indian state secures $500m for power transmission system

The Indian state of Rajasthan has secured investment worth $500 million (£309.5m) to build an electricity transmission system.

It will link renewable projects such as solar and wind plants in the northwest state to local and national grids.

The new system will include around 1,850 kilometres of transmission lines, mostly in western Rajasthan, three new 400 kilovolt substations and nine 220 kilovolt grid substations. The cash will also be used to boost capacity of seven existing substations.

Rajasthan aims to add 8,000MW of solar and wind generation capacity by 2018 and is home to more than 80% of the solar power set up under the first phase of the national government’s goal – 20,000MW of PV power in India by 2022.

Len George, Energy Specialist in the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) South Asia Department, which provided the fund said: “Boosting renewable energy is important for Rajasthan and India to meet fast-growing energy needs in a way that is kind to the environment while also improving the country’s energy security by reducing reliance on imported fossil fuels.

“The proposed transmission investments will also support evacuation of energy produced in large renewable energy parks that bring in economies of scale compared to smaller stand-alone renewable energy projects.”

The investment programme is expected to be completed by early 2018.

An Indian subsidiary of a Paris-based renewable energy firm officially unveiled its 5.6MW solar park in Rajasthan earlier this year.