MODERN GRIDS ARE THE NEW BACKBONE

The country is on the path to build over 50,000 km of new transmission lines that are the veins of power reaching across the nation, and massive new substations, considered the beating hearts of the grid.

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In the heart of India's electrifying journey, the grid is getting a makeover. And the aim is to light up every home, a task that demands a powerful and smart infrastructure. The country is on the path to build over 50,000 km of new transmission lines that are the veins of power reaching across the nation, and massive new substations, considered the beating hearts of the grid. Yet, the real magic is in the digital substations and rapid restoration systems. Yes, the grid is evolving to become a living, breathing network that learns and monitors itself. EPR speaks with industry experts to better understand the journey that has already begun.

Additions to transmission lines and substation capacity

The projected massive increase in power capacity has put pressure on the transmission infrastructure. The immense influx of renewable energy into the power system requires a significant upgrade. The new high-voltage corridors (e.g., 765 kV) are necessary to evacuate green power, especially for emerging sectors such as green hydrogen and ammonia production. Also, there are challenges, including managing peak loads within space-constrained distribution networks and ensuring system safety and compliance with evolving regulations, particularly for new technologies such as Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). The solutions for this focus on enhancing inter-regional transfer capability, deploying energy storage (BESS and Pumped Storage) and adopting High-Temperature Low-Sag (HTLS) conductors.

Mahesh Prasad Dash, Chief Project Manager at GRIDCO Ltd, underscores the scale of this transition, noting that “the amount of RE that is going to be integrated is enormous.” With nearly 500 GW of additional renewable capacity expected to enter the grid, he warns that this influx will be “intermittent and erratic in nature,” demanding strong support from energy storage systems (ESS) and long-duration battery solutions.