For the power-starved southern region, the hurried commissioning of a crucial transmission interconnection hooking up the southern grid with the rest of the country, was meant to spell a much-needed respite in the electricity situation just ahead of the polls. While the commissioning of the first 765 KV synchronous Raichur-Solapur transmision link was announced this New Year’s eve by the Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCIL), a crucial accompanying line that is essential for enabling actual power transfers to the southern region is currently held up on the very last leg. Two critical foundations for river crossings over the Krishna River in Karnataka are hanging fire and about 70 km of stringing of the electrical conductors is still pending, something that is unlikely to be wrapped up before end-May. Temperatures have started soaring and it will be summer in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka when the elections are underway. Power plants in the north are idling due to low demand, but transfer to the south is limited to far short of what the region needs. The second circuit line, which was to come up by early this year, is a crucial limiting factor and the interconnection system cannot be utilised for transfer of power to the southern region. The second line is being implemented by a consortium of Patel Engineering, Simplex and BS Ltd(formerly known as BS TransComm Ltd). While most of the tower foundation is completed, excepted for two critical foundations for river crossings over the Krishna in Karnataka that are yet to be completed. While about 200 km of the stringing of the electricial conductors is done, 70 km are pending, mainly due to inadequate equipment, especially conductor pulling machines. The peaking shortage in the south, already at around 2,000 MW, is climbing fast. While some generation from the first 1000 MWe unit of the Kudankulam, supplemented by extra local generation has helped situation somewhat in the south, the prospect of power flows from the rest of the country to the power-starved south through the new link has been ruled out before the elections. The second line between Raichur and Solapur was to come up alongside the newly commissioned line and act as a crucial buffer. According to experts, despite the single line that has been declared commissioned, the two grids have been joined through a weak single link capable of carrying only 800 MW. If power flows were to exceed this, the line could trip. A special protection scheme should have been put in place to initiate corrective action in case of excessive power flows but apparently this has not been done. Plus, many PGCIL transmission lines leading up to Solapur and going beyond Raichur are not ready either, and without these the single line cannot be optimally utilised.
