With work set to begin on an enormous Rs 21,000 crore transmission undertaking to evacuate energy from one of many nation’s largest deliberate renewable vitality parks in Ladakh, there are three unprecedented challenges of the type that no main undertaking of this scale has needed to deal with thus far.
One is a requirement by the state-owned executing company for making certain round the clock safety for website personnel, then there’s the necessity for sourcing expert labour into Ladakh from different states to fulfill the 1,200-odd workforce requirement, and lastly, the necessity for a mega street infrastructure upgradation plan to move over-dimensional heavy gear to the undertaking website close to the China border.
Past this, there’s a bigger query of the viability of the hyperlink envisaged from the higher reaches of avalanche-prone Ladakh all the best way right down to Haryana, given all the further prices that have to be padded in. Authorized for round Rs 8,300 crore in Central authorities help in 2023 beneath the Ministry of New and Renewable Vitality’s Inexperienced Vitality Hall (GEC) scheme, the strategic transmission hyperlink initially confronted inside scrutiny over issues round monetary viability, paperwork obtained by The Indian Specific reveal.
In the meantime, tendering for the 13 gigawatt (GW) photo voltaic and wind hybrid park, to be developed by personal gamers, is but to start as officers attempt to tackle issues round nomadic herders counting on the recognized land for livestock grazing. The park was introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence day tackle simply weeks after the June 2020 conflict between Indian and Chinese language troopers close to the Galwan river.
As soon as operational, the high-voltage direct present (HVDC) hyperlink will carry energy over a distance of 480 kilometers, from the deliberate park in Leh district’s Pang — located at an altitude of over 4,700 meters — to Kaithal in Haryana.
The transmission undertaking was conceptualised after the Ministry of New and Renewable Vitality (MNRE) was directed in August 2020 to organize an in depth plan for establishing a 7.5 GW photo voltaic park in Ladakh in session with the Photo voltaic Vitality Company of India (SECI), paperwork reveal. By 2022, its scope grew to incorporate 9 GW of photo voltaic, 4 GW of wind, and 12 GWh of battery storage. Alongside supplying energy to the nationwide grid at Kaithal, the hybrid park will even connect with the present Ladakh grid and the Leh-Kargil-Alusteng line to make sure dependable energy to Jammu and Kashmir.
Strategic issues
In its detailed undertaking report, Energy Grid Company of India Ltd, which was handed over the transmission undertaking, flagged safety points and the potential for work interruptions. “The undertaking websites of Pang are in shut proximity to worldwide border with China. This poses safety risk for personnel and belongings each throughout the building interval in addition to publish commissioning. Discussions could also be required with armed forces within the area for applicable safety detailing of the undertaking,” the report stated.
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It was determined handy over the undertaking to Energy Grid, beneath the Ministry of Energy, versus conducting tariff-based aggressive bidding (TBCB), after ministry officers cited strategic issues. At a Empowered Know-how Group assembly in March 2023, it was concluded that TBCB was unsuitable for this undertaking because it may result in deceptive bid costs “as a consequence of excessive situations of the undertaking deployment space, hostile situations, and lack of clear specs of supplies and gadgets for such excessive low temperatures.”
Technical, logistical challenges
Ladakh’s excessive photo voltaic irradiation and low temperatures are perfect for environment friendly photo voltaic PV era, however its geography additionally presents distinctive challenges. With temperatures going as little as minus 45 levels celsius coupled with heavy snowfall, the transmission gear will use specialty metal to resist excessive climate. It’s going to even be bolstered with particular foundations and avalanche safety constructions.
Due to excessive winters, the working season in Ladakh is restricted to the interval between mid-April to mid-October, as that’s when the entry roads are additionally open for basic visitors motion. With building slated to start in 2025-26, the undertaking will take 3-4 full working seasons to finish.
In line with the undertaking report, the present transport path to Pang can solely carry masses as much as 55 metric tons (MT) towards the requirement of 86 MT. Airlifting of HVDC transformers to Leh airport was dominated out as infeasible. As an answer, Energy Grid will coordinate with the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) “for growth of street infrastructure together with street widening, enchancment of hairpin bends, gradient enchancment, elimination of protruded stones in hilly terrain and strengthening of bridges, building of latest bridges, and many others,” paperwork present.
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Amongst undertaking dangers, Energy Grid has additionally recognized the shortage of expert manpower domestically as a major problem. It plans to deliver required personnel from different states to Ladakh for the undertaking. Roughly 1,200 folks, 200 from Energy Grid and the remaining deployed by different businesses, will likely be required for building.
Monetary viability
The undertaking is accepted to obtain Rs 8,309 crore in grants from the central authorities, overlaying 40 per cent of the full estimated price excluding curiosity. Energy Grid has additionally been in discussions with Germany’s KfW for a line of credit score of 600 million euros.
In a December 2022 Public Funding Board assembly, a senior advisor from NITI Aayog questioned the grant, declaring that the online distinction within the landed price per unit of energy at Kaithal with and with out the grant is barely Rs 0.33. “Contemplating this and taking into consideration excessive uncertainty, larger set up price and big dependence on foreign exchange element, there doesn’t seem to have a necessity for grant,” they argued.
Whereas finance ministry officers warned that the estimated price doesn’t account for potential delays, which may enhance prices by 30-50 per cent, Energy Grid officers reassured that any price escalation within the transmission system would have a minimal impression on finish customers, because the transmission tariff accounts for less than 12 per cent of the landed price with the grant.
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The monetary viability of your entire undertaking hinges on the deliberate 12 GWh of battery storage on the Pang renewable vitality park, which can improve the transmission system’s capability utilisation from 35 per cent to 76 per cent. Importantly, India at present has lower than 1 GWh of grid-connected battery storage, with a lot of the provision chain dominated by China.
For the 5 GW HVDC terminals at Pang and Kaithal, together with the related transmission strains and cables, gear and set up prices add as much as Rs 16,000 crore, almost 80 per cent of the full undertaking price. Paperwork present that solely Siemens Vitality and Hitachi Vitality have proven curiosity in bidding. Energy Grid, SECI, and MNRE didn’t reply to requests for remark.
13 GW hybrid park in Pang
As of December 2024, Ladakh’s renewable vitality capability stands at simply 140 MW, comprising largely small hydro and photo voltaic initiatives. The proposed 13 GW photo voltaic and wind park, poised to be considered one of India’s largest, will path solely the under-construction 30 GW hybrid park in Gujarat’s Khavda. In conferences for the transmission undertaking grant, officers stated personal gamers will develop the park and that there’s ample curiosity for a similar.
Nonetheless, the hybrid park has drawn criticism from native activists, who warn it may disrupt Ladakh’s fragile ecological steadiness. With tenders but to be floated, officers from MNRE and the Union Territory of Ladakh met on January 1 to discover options.
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They proposed a livestock grazing-friendly pilot photo voltaic undertaking within the Pang space, entrusting SECI to work out the modalities, “with a selected give attention to adjusting the peak of the photo voltaic panels in order that the nomadic herders can freely graze their livestock beneath the panels with none disruptions.”
When The Indian Specific requested a duplicate of the environmental and social impression evaluation (ESIA) report ready by SECI for the hybrid undertaking beneath the Proper to Data Act, 2005, the request was denied as a consequence of “eco-political sensitivities concerned”. In its response, SECI additionally stated the ESIA report will likely be used to organize the tender specs.
