Now on, Thiruvananthapuram power is safe
The substation and the Pothencode-Kattakada 220 KV overhead transmission line that feeds it was constructed spending Rs 115 crore.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The 220 KV Kattakada substation, which will be commissioned on November 8 after inordinate delay, is expected to end the power woes of the capital district.
The substation and the Pothencode-Kattakada 220 KV overhead transmission line that feeds it was constructed spending Rs 115 crore. The new substation will serve ‘seven lakh’-odd power consumers in consumers in the central and southeastern parts of the district like Nedumangad, Aruvikkara, Kattakada, Parassala, Neyyattinkara and parts of Thirumala.
The construction of the substation was completed in 2012, but the drawing of high tension lines over the Pothencode Kattakada stretch had got entangled in a series of court cases. As it stands, power is supplied to these areas by a 110 KV line from Pothencode.
During peak hours, especially in the evening, the load gets too heavy for the line to bear that voltage drops or power shutdowns are frequent occurrences in central and south-eastern parts of the district.
“Electricity up to 1,000 MW can be transmitted through the new 220 KV line, and about 108 towers have been erected to draw the transmission lines,” said Siji Jose, KSEBL chief engineer (transmission, south).
The electricity for the district currently comes from Pothencode substation and the Edamon substation in Kollam. The electricity from the 220 KV Edamon sub-station is brought to the Paruthippara 110 KV substation to meet the power needs of some parts of the district.
The electricity generated from the 220 KV Pothencode substation is currently brought to the Thirumala, Aruvikkara, Nedumangad and Kattakada 110 KV substations for distribution to the remaining parts of the district.
“The new substation will stabilise power supply in the district,” Mr Jose said.
"Yet another 220 KV sub-station will be commissioned in Vizhinjam by the Adani Group for the Vizhinjam seaport area. KSEBL will draw the lines from Kattakada to Vizhinjam for the project. Once this project is commissioned, the 66 KV lines at Vizhinjam will be upgraded to 220 KV and the 66 KV Balaramapuram line will be scaled up to 110 KV.”