To boost power supply in Kerala by 2000 MW

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 31: The construction of the Pugalur-Madakkathara HVDC power line will be completed this month, paving the way for a huge boost in power imports in the state. With the commissioning of the project, the line will be able to bring in 2,000 MW of power to Kerala from Raigarh in Chhattisgarh.

The project will be able to meet the increasing power demands of the state in the future as well as significantly reduce transmission losses. A 165 km line has been laid from Pugalur in Tamil Nadu to Madakkathara in Thrissur at a cost of Rs 1474 crores. The project is being implemented by the Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCIL), a Central Public Sector Undertaking. The Pugalur- Thrissur HVDC project is a part of PGCIL’s plan to counter extreme power deficit in the country’s southern region where power shortage creeps up to 3 GW under peak load situation. The Pugalur-Madakkathara HVDC system is the first transmission network in the country to be built on the latest technology Voltage Source Converter (VSC) based HVDC system. High voltage direct current technology can minimize transmission losses.

The project includes 138 km of overhead line and 27 km of underground cable from Vadakkancherry to Madakkathara in Kerala. The project was implemented by ensuring adequate compensation for the land acquired for the project, through a special package to avoid obstruction of line construction by landowners. KSEB had appointed a special task force to complete the project, started in May 2018, on time. Utilizing the traffic restrictions enforced during the lockdown as part of the Covid defence operations, cables were laid along the sides of the national highway, including the Kuthiran tunnel. At the request of the State Government, a 320 kV 2000 MW HVDC line was sanctioned from Pugalur-Madakkathara for the continuation of the 800 kV 6000 MW 1,765 kms long Raigarh to Pugalur DC line.

The final stages of line construction are underway and the project will provide electricity to domestic as well as commercial customers. The Pugalur-Madakathara line will also facilitate uninterrupted power supply to industrial ventures being set up as part of the Kochi-Bangalore Industrial Corridor.