Chennai: Wind power producers in Tamil Nadu can heave a shy of relief with the Power Grid Corp of India awarding the work order to ABB India, a power and automation company, to construct the Raigarh-Pugalur 800 kilovolt (kV) UltraHigh-Voltage Direct Current (UHVDC) system.
The 1,830 kilometer long link connecting Raigarh in Chhatisgarh with Pugalur in Tamil Nadu will be among the longest in the world. With a capacity of 6,000 MW, the equivalent of more than six large power plants, will integrate thermal and wind energy for transmission of power to high consumption centers located thousands of kilometers away.
Sanjeev Sharma, CEO and managing director, ABB India said it would support electricity demands in the South when wind strength is low, and transmitting clean energy to the North, when there is excess wind power. The project is expected to be completed by 2019, he said.
Welcoming the transmission projects as part of the Green Corridor, Indian Wind Power Association Chairman Prof Dr K. Kasthurirangaian said once the transmission corridor was commissioned, wind power generated in the state could flow western and northern states. The wind power generated in the southern districts could be exported to the Northern and Western Regions via Kayathar and Pugalur transmission line, he said, adding that Tantransco has already charged Kayathar-Pugalur line.
He said with the southern states having abundant renewable energy sources, particularly wind power, the excess generated energy could be exported to northern states. “During the wind power season, the excess energy can be exported to Northern states from May to October. From November to April, the state can import thermal power from Northern states to meet its requirement. The corridor will enable flow of energy on both the ways,” he said. Besides, the corridor will increase the inter regions transmission capacity thereby bringing down the cost of power purchase. “Tamil Nadu will be able to purchase power at low cost from Northern and Western Regions,” he said.
Wind energy producers in the state often complaint about backing off of the wind mills during the peak power season citing the grid condition. Tamil Nadu, which has the largest installed wind capacity of 7,685 mw in the country, had demanded the Centre to make available grid to sell surplus wind energy to the tune of 1,000 mw to other states to meet their renewable purchase obligations.
In 2016, Tamil Nadu has set a new record of wind power evacuation with 11,408 million units by bettering its own previous record of 10,630 MU in 2012.
