Jyoti Structures (JSL), a listed Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) company focused on power transmission, has recently completed full-scale prototype testing of its 513th transmission tower at its Tower Testing Station in Ghoti, Nashik, Maharashtra. The test was conducted for Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCIL) under the 800 kV HVDC transmission programme.

The tower tested was an 800 kV HVDC Type “C” tower designed for 15°–30° angles in Wind Zone-4. Configured as a Basic Body Tower with +0M extension, the structure weighed 45.5 metric tonnes. Testing was conducted in accordance with IS 802 Part III: 1978 (RA):2017 standards, covering multiple load conditions including normal operation, maintenance scenarios, broken wire situations and various reliability cases.

The tower successfully withstood 100 per cent of the required loads across all test cases without visible deformation. During the process, certain members in the Bottom X-Arm were strengthened to optimise the design. A subsequent destruction test showed the tower sustaining loads up to 110 per cent before collapse, confirming the robustness of the structural design.

The milestone supports JSL’s ongoing execution of the 800 kV HVDC transmission project awarded by PGCIL, valued at approximately Rs 7.41 billion including GST. The Ghoti Tower Testing Station forms a key part of the company’s R&D and testing infrastructure, ensuring transmission towers meet design and performance requirements before field deployment.