MoP Approves 23 New ISTS Projects Worth ₹15,893 cr

The Ministry of Power (MoP) and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has approved 23 new Inter State Transmission System (ISTS) projects with an estimated cost of Rs 15,893 crore.

The new ISTS projects comprise 13 projects with an estimated cost of Rs 14,766 to be developed under Tariff Based Competitive Bidding (TBCB) and 10 projects with an estimated cost of Rs. 1,127 crore to be developed under Regulated Tariff Mechanism (RTM).

The new ISTS projects would inter-alia facilitate evacuation system for 14 GW of renewable projects (RE) in Rajasthan, 4.5 GW of RE projects in Gujarat, 1 GW Neemuch Solar Park, Madhya Pradesh, and feeding areas near Akhnoor and Jammu region by establishing Siot Substation in Jammu, said MoP.

These projects were approved after examining the recommendations of the National Committee on Transmission and in accordance with the National Tariff Policy 2016, notified by the Central Government, which provides that ISTS projects are to be developed through TBCB, except for certain category projects which are strategic, technical-upgradation or time-bound in nature, added the ministry.

“The above transmission network expansion would augment seamless transfer of power from power surplus regions to power deficit regions and thus optimizing the use of generation resources as well as meeting the demands of end consumers without any transmission constraints. It would assist growth of renewable energy based capacity,” said MoP.

India recently announced to cut net carbon emissions to zero by 2070 at COP26 in Glasgow. The country’s non-fossil fuel-based capacity has met the 40% target under its nationally determined contribution (NDC) at COP 21. Additionally, the nation has already reached an emission reduction of 28%.

According to the Central Electricity Authority, by 2030, the country’s power requirement would be 817GW, more than half of which would be clean energy, and 280GW would be from solar energy alone. Installed power capacity from non-fossil fuels is estimated to go up to 66% by 2030.