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News18
25-05-2025
- Business
- News18
Is India Missing The Spark? Transmission Sector Needs Private Surge
Authored by GP Upadhyaya, IAS (Retd.), DG – EPTA and Dr Manvendra Deswal, DDG – EPTA: India's power transmission sector is poised for significant growth with an estimated Rs 10 lakh crore ($120 billion) investment envisaged by 2032 to achieve the stated NEP (National Electricity Plan) goals. Transmission capacity is expected to increase fivefold in the next eight years itself with over 90% of projects expected to be awarded through TBCB (Tariff Based Competitive Bidding) instead of RTM (Regulated Tariff Mechanism) highlighting the importance of private sector. This ambitious expansion is fuelled by rising electricity demand, renewable energy integration and infrastructure modernization. News18 Private sector participation in India is not a recent phenomenon – in fact, Electricity Act, 2003 and Tariff Policy, 2006 (amended in 2016) laid down the legal framework to encourage private sector participation in the transmission sector. Besides, the Ministry of Power (MoP) issues periodic guidelines and amendments to Standard Bidding Documents (SBDs) to facilitate competition and attract private investment. An Empowered Committee oversees the identification and bidding process for interstate transmission (ISTS) projects, with several of them already awarded and under implementation via private Transmission Service Providers (TSPs).
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
India's power transmission body flags regulatory hurdles in equipment procurement
India's power transmission sector is facing acute supply-side bottlenecks, especially in procuring High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) equipment critical for carrying renewable energy over long distances, raising concerns over the country's ability to meet its 2030 renewable energy targets. The Electric Power Transmission Association (EPTA) has urged the Power Ministry to provide a level-playing field in procurement policies, highlighting a regulatory mismatch that allows renewable energy (RE) developers to bypass subcontracting restrictions, while transmission companies remain bound by them. The association has called for a temporary exemption from these restrictions until December 2030, to help transmission developers procure key HVDC components without delay. 'This mismatch between generation and transmission is hurting the overall power sector and delaying addition of capacity,' said an official from a leading transmission company, reported PTI. According to the official, while RE projects are built in 12–18 months, transmission lines often take 3–4 years, and HVDC systems even longer. The issue stems from restrictions on suppliers and subcontractors from countries sharing land borders with India, particularly China, which is a major source of HVDC equipment. Although these curbs apply to central ministries, autonomous bodies, and public-private partnership (PPP) projects, they also extend to transmission developers operating under the fully privately funded Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) model, leaving them similarly affected. The EPTA noted that renewable developers are exempt from these restrictions, following a 2022 clarification by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. It stated that while SECI's procurement qualifies as public procurement, the contracts don't fall under 'works contracts,' thereby allowing unrestricted subcontracting, including from China. Transmission developers, on the other hand, continue to face full restrictions under tariff-based competitive bidding (TBCB). 'Despite TBCB projects not being PPPs, the transmission service providers cannot procure or subcontract from countries sharing land borders with India, thereby severely limiting supplier choices,' said an industry official. This asymmetry, industry players say, has created a systemic gap between RE generation and transmission readiness, particularly in HVDC-dependent regions like Rajasthan and Khavda in Gujarat. At present, only two domestic OEMs offer LCC-based HVDC systems, while global manufacturers in Europe and the US are booked until 2030, amid surging renewable installations in the West. As a result, the constrained market is pushing project costs higher, with tariffs reaching up to 17% above levelised rates, and project timelines extending up to six years. 'HVDC projects are vital for renewable energy development, and must be governed by the same procurement norms as RE projects,' EPTA said in its representation to the Power Ministry. Data from two recently concluded HVDC bids show that it took 19 months just to finalise the tender, with an overall implementation window of 54 months. The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has also acknowledged the issue, noting that HVDC component supply constraints are inflating project costs and justifying higher bids. Calling for urgent policy harmonisation, EPTA Director General G P Upadhyaya said: 'A systemic gap has emerged between generation readiness and transmission infrastructure timelines, particularly for HVDC-dependent RE zones like Rajasthan and Khavda in Gujarat. The timely execution of HVDC systems is a critical path for achieving India's renewable energy targets.' With inputs from PTI
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
India's power transmission body flags regulatory hurdles in equipment procurement
India's power transmission sector is facing acute supply-side bottlenecks, especially in procuring High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) equipment critical for carrying renewable energy over long distances, raising concerns over the country's ability to meet its 2030 renewable energy targets. The Electric Power Transmission Association (EPTA) has urged the Power Ministry to provide a level-playing field in procurement policies, highlighting a regulatory mismatch that allows renewable energy (RE) developers to bypass subcontracting restrictions, while transmission companies remain bound by them. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas Prices In Dubai Might Be More Affordable Than You Think Villas In Dubai | Search Ads Get Quote Undo The association has called for a temporary exemption from these restrictions until December 2030, to help transmission developers procure key HVDC components without delay. 'This mismatch between generation and transmission is hurting the overall power sector and delaying addition of capacity,' said an official from a leading transmission company, reported PTI. According to the official, while RE projects are built in 12–18 months, transmission lines often take 3–4 years, and HVDC systems even longer. Live Events Also Read: Adani to announce ₹20,000 crore investments in North East The issue stems from restrictions on suppliers and subcontractors from countries sharing land borders with India, particularly China, which is a major source of HVDC equipment. Although these curbs apply to central ministries, autonomous bodies, and public-private partnership (PPP) projects, they also extend to transmission developers operating under the fully privately funded Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) model, leaving them similarly affected. The EPTA noted that renewable developers are exempt from these restrictions, following a 2022 clarification by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. It stated that while SECI's procurement qualifies as public procurement, the contracts don't fall under 'works contracts,' thereby allowing unrestricted subcontracting, including from China. Transmission developers, on the other hand, continue to face full restrictions under tariff-based competitive bidding (TBCB). 'Despite TBCB projects not being PPPs, the transmission service providers cannot procure or subcontract from countries sharing land borders with India, thereby severely limiting supplier choices,' said an industry official. This asymmetry, industry players say, has created a systemic gap between RE generation and transmission readiness, particularly in HVDC-dependent regions like Rajasthan and Khavda in Gujarat. Also Read: Maharatna PSU Powergrid projects capex of over Rs 3 lakh crore by 2032 At present, only two domestic OEMs offer LCC-based HVDC systems, while global manufacturers in Europe and the US are booked until 2030, amid surging renewable installations in the West. As a result, the constrained market is pushing project costs higher, with tariffs reaching up to 17% above levelised rates, and project timelines extending up to six years. 'HVDC projects are vital for renewable energy development, and must be governed by the same procurement norms as RE projects,' EPTA said in its representation to the Power Ministry. Data from two recently concluded HVDC bids show that it took 19 months just to finalise the tender, with an overall implementation window of 54 months. The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has also acknowledged the issue, noting that HVDC component supply constraints are inflating project costs and justifying higher bids. Calling for urgent policy harmonisation, EPTA Director General G P Upadhyaya said: 'A systemic gap has emerged between generation readiness and transmission infrastructure timelines, particularly for HVDC-dependent RE zones like Rajasthan and Khavda in Gujarat. The timely execution of HVDC systems is a critical path for achieving India's renewable energy targets.' With inputs from PTI
South China Morning Post
30-01-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
Chinese scientist duo on team recognised for work in search of ripples in space-time
Chinese researchers have received a prestigious award from the Royal Astronomical Society for their leading roles in efforts to detect nanohertz gravitational waves – or ultra-low-frequency ripples in space-time. Advertisement Liu Kuo and Chen Siyuan from the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory (SHAO) were key contributors to the European Pulsar Timing Array (EPTA) consortium, which received the royal society's group achievement award earlier this month. While working at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn, Germany, Liu led a team of researchers from Germany, France, Britain, the Netherlands and other European nations to analyse and release a major pulsar timing data set in 2023, according to SHAO. The data, measured to within a billionth of a second, was built on 25 years of observations from six of the world's most sensitive radio telescopes . Pulsars – rapidly spinning neutron stars – serve as cosmic clocks to reveal the elusive waves through tiny variations in their timing. Members of the EPTA consortium, which has received the Royal Astronomical Society's group achievement award for its work in nanohertz gravitational waves. Photo: EPTA Using this data set, Chen led a team in France at the National Centre for Scientific Research and the Paris Observatory to search for a faint, collective signal from pairs of distant supermassive black holes Advertisement His team successfully identified a signal with a statistical significance of about three sigma, meaning it was unlikely to be noise. The findings matched results from other pulsar timing collaborations, SHAO noted on its WeChat account.
South China Morning Post
30-01-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
Chinese scientist duo on team awarded for work in search of space-time ripples
Published: 4:14pm, 30 Jan 2025 Chinese researchers have received a prestigious award from the Royal Astronomical Society for their leading roles in efforts to detect nanohertz gravitational waves – or ultra-low-frequency ripples in space-time. Liu Kuo and Chen Siyuan from the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory (SHAO) were key contributors to the European Pulsar Timing Array (EPTA) consortium, which received the royal society's group achievement award earlier this month. While working at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn, Germany, Liu led a team of researchers from Germany, France, Britain, the Netherlands and other European nations to analyse and release a major pulsar timing data set in 2023, according to SHAO. The data, measured to within a billionth of a second, was built on 25 years of observations from six of the world's most sensitive radio telescopes . Pulsars – rapidly spinning neutron stars – serve as cosmic clocks to reveal the elusive waves through tiny variations in their timing. Members of the EPTA consortium, which has received the Royal Astronomical Society's group achievement award for its work in nanohertz gravitational waves. Photo: EPTA Using this data set, Chen led a team in France at the National Centre for Scientific Research and the Paris Observatory to search for a faint, collective signal from pairs of distant supermassive black holes . His team successfully identified a signal with a statistical significance of about three sigma, meaning it was unlikely to be noise. The findings matched results from other pulsar timing collaborations, SHAO noted on its WeChat account.
