The government on Wednesday approved setting up of a Rs 20,773.70 crore-transmission line for evacuation of solar power from a 13 GW renewable energy project in Ladakh to Kaithal in Haryana.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his Independence Day Speech, had announced setting up of a 7.5 GW solar park in Ladakh. After extensive field survey, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) prepared a plan to set up 13 GW renewable energy generation capacity along with 12 GWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Pang, Ladakh, an official release said.
For evacuating the huge quantum of power, it will be necessary to create an inter-state transmission infrastructure. Information & Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the project on Green Energy Corridor (GEC) Phase-II Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) for the 13 GW renewable energy project in Ladakh.
The project is targeted to be set up by financial year 2029-30 with a total estimated cost of Rs 20,773.70 crore and 40 per cent central financial assistance estimated at Rs 8,309.48 crore. The project is expected to be awarded by March 2025, sources said.
The transmission line for evacuating the power will pass through Himachal Pradesh and Punjab up to Kaithal in Haryana where it will be integrated with the national grid. An interconnection is also planned from the project in Leh to existing Ladakh grid so as to ensure reliable power supply to the Ladakh.
It will also be connected to Leh-Alusteng-Srinagar line to provide power to Jammu & Kashmir. The project will entail setting up of 713 km transmission lines (including 480 km HVDC line) and 5 GW capacity of HVDC terminal each at Pang (Ladakh) and Kaithal (Haryana), the release said. The project will contribute to achieving the target of 500 GW of installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuels by year 2030, it added.
Further, the project will generate large direct and indirect employment opportunities for both skilled and unskilled personnel in power and other related sectors, especially in Ladakh region. This project is in addition to Intra-State Transmission System Green Energy Corridor Phase-II (InSTS GEC-II), which is already under implementation in the states of Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh for grid integration and power evacuation of approximately 20 GW.
According to the sources, the setting up of the transmission line poses major challenges as the work involves construction at altitude of up to 4,700 metre above mean sea level and ambient temperatures below -35 degree celsius, low air density and very low atmospheric oxygen levels.
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