INDIA - $29.6 billion plan to upgrade grid for clean power

As it plans to nearly triple its clean-power capacity by 2030, India revealed a $29.6 billion plan to develop transmission lines to connect renewable generation. The project will link wind farms in Tamil Nadu and solar facilities in the deserts of Rajasthan and Gujarat to the national grid, according to a statement from the electricity ministry. By the end of the decade, it will contribute to an increase in India's interregional transmission capacity from 112 gigawatts to 150 gigawatts. Renewable electricity in India has been constrained by a shortage of transmission lines. This gap needs to be filled when the country sets out on its journey to net zero by 2070 so that clean power can reach urban and industrial areas that are frequently far from generation sources. India currently generates 173 gigawatts of electricity from non-fossil fuel sources, and by 2030, it hopes to nearly triple that capacity to 500 gigawatts. The transmission strategy calls for the construction of transformers, the installation of high-voltage lines, and the laying of undersea cables to transport electricity generated by offshore wind farms. The sector of power networks applauded the initiative but cautioned against the method of contract award. In contrast to the current practise of awarding some projects to the state-run Power Grid Corp. of India Ltd. without competition, private transmission companies have been urging New Delhi to assign all projects through competitive bids.