India’s Power Transmission Network Crosses 5 Lakh Circuit Kilometres Milestone

India’s national power transmission network has achieved a major milestone by surpassing 5 lakh circuit kilometres (ckm) of transmission lines at 220 kV and above, along with a transformation capacity of 1,407 GVA, the Ministry of Power has informed.

Key Project Behind the Milestone

The milestone was achieved on January 14 with the commissioning of a 628 ckm, 765 kV transmission line connecting Bhadla-II to Sikar-II in Rajasthan.

• The line has been developed for renewable energy evacuation from Rajasthan’s Renewable Energy Zone.
• It will enable the evacuation of an additional 1,100 MW of renewable power from the Bhadla, Ramgarh and Fatehgarh solar complexes.

Expansion Since 2014

Since April 2014, India’s transmission infrastructure has seen rapid growth:

• 71.6% expansion in the transmission network,
• Addition of 2.09 lakh ckm of extra high voltage transmission lines, and
• Increase of 876 GVA in transformation capacity.

Strengthening National Grid Integration

India’s inter-regional power transfer capacity has risen to 1,20,340 MW, enabling smooth electricity flow across regions in line with the vision of “One Nation, One Grid, One Frequency.”

Renewable Energy and Future Targets

The government has set an ambitious target of installing 500 GW of non-fossil fuel power generation capacity by 2030. Expansion and strengthening of the transmission network are seen as critical enablers for integrating large-scale renewable energy into the national grid.