April 8, New power lines under the Inter State Transmission System (ISTS), being laid in the Nangalbibra in Meghalaya and Bongaigaon district in Assam, will help transmit Energy within the Northeast while also efficiently evacuating generated electricity between the Northeast and rest of India grids. This ISTS corridor is set to aid power exchange between grids allowing stable & affordable power supply in the region. In a move that will place India firmly in the saddle of being energy sufficient and strengthen Assam’s position as a major centre of electricity in the region, the Nangalbibra Bongaigaon transmission line (NBTL) will contribute immensely to the strengthening our power infrastructure. The growing investment in the power generation through Renewable sources like Solar & small hydro, needs to be channelized through an efficient system of ISTS for stable & affordable electricity for the end users. The newly built power lines passing through the two states of the Northeast satiates the Assam State Renewable Energy (RE) policy 2022 which is aimed at creating an ecosystem to propel growth of RE in the state. An initiative of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) the ISTS projects aims to strengthen Assam’s electricity transmission system by constructing new transmission substations, laying new transmission lines like NBTL, upgrading existing substations, transmission lines, and existing ground wires to optical power ground wire (OPGW) and providing technical assistance.
To enhance the transmission network in the North-Eastern Region, several other Inter State Transmission projects have been initiated. Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd. (PGCIL) is overseeing two significant Intra State power transmission and distribution schemes. The first is the North Eastern Region Power System Improvement Project (NERPSIP), which aims to strengthen the Intra-State Transmission and Distribution Systems (33kV & above) for six states (Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura, and Nagaland) at an estimated cost of Rs.6,700 crore. The second scheme is the Comprehensive Scheme for Strengthening of Transmission and Distribution System in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, which is sanctioned at an estimated cost of Rs.9,129.32 crore. Earlier, Assam Electricity Grid Corporation Ltd (AEGCL) proposed for reducing loading on lines connected with Agia (Assam) substation and enhancing the reliability of power supply in the western parts of Meghalaya, a 220 kV substation either in West Garo Hills district or in the East Garo Hills district of Meghalaya was required. Accordingly, establishment of 220/132kV, 2×160 MVA substation at Nangalbibra (Meghalaya) will be constructed to effect better supply of power along the transmission line. The Assam Intra State Transmission System is aimed at improving the reliability, capacity, and security of the power transmission network in Assam.
It will strengthen the transmission system with new high voltage grid substations like the 400 kV NBTL power line. It will also upgrade existing substations and upgrade of high tension low sag and replacement of existing ground wire with OPGW. Assam has a renewable energy potential of 14,487 MW with solar energy being the largest component. As per government data , Assam RE potential – a total of 454.66 MW in 2021 – can be broken down with a total of 13,760 MW of solar energy, followed by biomass with 279 MW, wind energy with 246 MW and small hydro projects with 202 MW capacities. So far, the grid connected RE capacity installed in Assam in 2021 comes down to 34.11 MW from small hydro power, 2 MW from Biomass, 59.15 MW from solar and 350 MW from large hydro power projects. The Assam Renewable Energy Policy, 2022 aims to install aggregate RE of 1,200 MW within 5 years through grid connected solar power. Another 620 MW through Grid connected Rooftop Solar Power plant, 300 MW through off grid solar applications and another 80 MW through other RE sources. With this, the importance of green energy corridor is established for essential & fluid movement of power both within & outside in the future.
