In Next 20 Years, India May Need Massive Power Transmission Corridors: CEA
Central Electricity Authority’s (CEA) report on Advance National Transmission Plan for India, which was released online in mid-July, indicates that the 48 major high-transmission corridors that have already been planned and are under implementation (expected to be completed by 2019) would be sufficient to meet the import/export of power among various regions till 2022-23.
The report also states that in another 20 years (2035-36), the transmission system needs to be expanded as the demand for power will grow. The all-India peak demand will rise four times from the current level of 153 GW to about 690 GW, hence quadrupling power generation and transmission systems will be required to transmit power, says the report. The report recommends setting up massive transmission corridors towards northern and southern regions.
However, the CEA is cautious about advising any roadmap, including predicting accurate locations for erecting transmission lines and their capacity, due to a lack of enough details. The report also points out the poor electricity growth, which is in the range of 5-8 percent per annum.
Regions
| Regions | Surplus/Deficit (-) Scenario in MW | Inter-state Grid availability in MW | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | 2026-27 | 2031-32 | 2035-36 | as on October 29, 2015 | expected by 2017 | expected by 2021-22 | ||
| Northern | -18,400 | -33,200 | -54,800 | -80,100 | 30,250 | 40,850 | 45,450 | |
| Western | 10,400 | 14,000 | 21,300 | 34,200 | 10,690 | 12,790 | 12,790 | |
| Southern | -7,400 | -16,200 | -30,100 | -47,700 | 11,550 | 15,750 | 30,150 | |
| Eastern | 10,900 | 22,300 | 40,600 | 66,600 | ||||
| North-East | 1,800 | 2,100 | 3,000 | 4,000 | 2,860 | 2,860 | 2,860 | |
For an assertive planning of transmission corridors, the authorities are waiting for the 19th Electric Power Survey report that will elaborate on the power demand and supply situation in India and project requirements for the future. Though the report was expected to be released in April, it is not likely to come out before August. The estimates of the report will be interesting to look at. The 18th Electric Survey report by CEA has been criticized by reporters for overestimation of power requirements with optimistic GDP figures.
Electricity growth is happening very slowly in India; roughly 40 percent of the installed capacity of coal-fired power stations remains unutilized. According to the recent Load Generation Balance report of the Central Electricity Authority, power demands have gone down in seven states in 2022 compared to 2023. In another 16 states, the power requirement has grown by less than 3 percent.
States
| States | Power Requirement (2022) | Power Requirement (2023) | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | 113,016 | 109,216 | -3.4% |
| D.N. Haveli | 5,806 | 5,615 | -3.3% |
| Himachal Pradesh | 9,401 | 9,209 | -2.0% |
| Sikkim | 427 | 423 | -0.9% |
| Uttar Pradesh | 111,858 | 110,850 | -0.9% |
| Karnataka | 70,294 | 69,781 | -0.7% |
| Rajasthan | 72,132 | 72,070 | -0.1% |
| Puducherry | 2,554 | 2,554 | 0.0% |
| Jammu & Kashmir | 16,922 | 17,060 | 0.8% |
| Chandigarh | 1,689 | 1,705 | 0.9% |
| Tamil Nadu | 102,653 | 103,806 | 1.1% |
| Punjab | 51,268 | 52,080 | 1.6% |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 816 | 830 | 1.7% |
| Haryana | 48,870 | 49,800 | 1.9% |
| Tripura | 1,425 | 1,453 | 2.0% |
| Kerala | 23,703 | 24,179 | 2.0% |
| Assam | 9,115 | 9,309 | 2.1% |
| Delhi | 30,408 | 31,110 | 2.3% |
| Jharkhand | 9,106 | 9,320 | 2.4% |
| Uttarakhand | 13,247 | 13,574 | 2.5% |
| Meghalaya | 2,155 | 2,215 | 2.8% |
| Nagaland | 825 | 849 | 2.9% |
| Maharashtra | 149,773 | 154,169 | 2.9% |
| DVC | 19,224 | 20,365 | 5.9% |
| Mizoram | 502 | 533 | 6.2% |
| West Bengal | 49,654 | 52,867 | 6.5% |
| Daman & Diu | 2,221 | 2,372 | 6.8% |
| Chhattisgarh | 24,980 | 27,176 | 8.8% |
| Orissa | 26,985 | 29,805 | 10.5% |
| Gujarat | 94,898 | 104,845 | 10.5% |
| Madhya Pradesh | 65,675 | 74,199 | 13.0% |
| Manipur | 865 | 1,008 | 16.5% |
| Goa | 3,566 | 4,367 | 22.5% |
| Bihar | 19,215 | 26,369 | 37.2% |
Mounting losses by state power distribution companies and their inability to procure power are cited as the major reasons for the reduced power demand or non-growth of power in the country.