In a major update, Special Chief Secretary (Energy), AP, and Chairman of the Southern Regional Power Committee (SRPC), K Vijayanand, has announced a game-changing decision regarding the Raigarh-Pugalur-Trichur (RPT) High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) Transmission System. Initially planned for import only, this system can now operate in Reverse Mode, utilising its full capacity of 6,000 Megawatts (MW) instead of the previous 3000 MW. This smart move eliminates the need for an additional transmission system.
Vijayanand said that the RPT HVDC system, designed for 50% capacity export mode, can handle its full capacity. This decision was shared during the SRPC meeting in Hyderabad on Friday.
Vijayanand highlighted that the ±800kV, 6000 MW HVDC Raigarh-Pugalur link was initially designed to import power into the Southern Region to address power deficits. Currently operational since September 2020, it flows power both ways – from the Western Region to the Southern Region and vice versa. Furthermore, he mentioned plans to reassess the Southern Region’s Import & Export Total Transfer Capability with the Emergency Power Controller of HVDC Raigarh-Pugalur. The addition of equipment is scheduled for June 2024.
Vijayanand shared that the Technical Coordination Sub-Committee recommended PGCIL to study enhancing the Raigarh-Pugalur HVDC system’s capacity to 6000 MW.
A joint study with Power Grid and Hitachi is underway, with the report expected within a month.
The decision on this matter will be made in the upcoming SRPC meeting, according to the Chairperson.
The meeting was attended by key figures like K Varun Reddy (CMD, TSNPDCL), Dr. Rajan N Khobragade (Addl. Chief Secretary & CMD, KSEBL), RK Tyagi (Chairman and Managing Director, POWERGRID), and representatives from Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry. The meeting, organised by Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCIL), delved into details about the Raigarh-Pugalur HVDC system’s reverse power flow capacity and discussed potential commercial impacts for Southern Region States.
