Union Minister of Power and MNRE has approved new 23 Inter State Transmission System Projects (ISTS) with an estimated cost of Rs. 15893 crore. The new ISTS projects comprises of 13 projects with an estimated cost of Rs 14766 to be developed under Tariff Based Competitive Bidding (TBCB) and 10 projects with an estimated cost of Rs. 1127 crore to be developed under Regulated Tariff Mechanism (RTM).
The new transmission projects would inter-alia facilitate evacuation system for 14 GW of Renewable Projects 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.
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 project is developed through TBCB, except for certain category projects, which are strategic, technical-upgradation or time-bound in nature.
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.