Battling a tricky power crisis this summer, the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) is planning to expedite work on TransGrid 2.0, a long-term plan aimed at strengthening the power transmission network within the State.
The proposal forms part of an effort to prevent a recurrence of the ongoing power crisis triggered by an abrupt spurt in demand driven by summer temperatures. TransGrid works in some of the northern districts, including Kasaragod, Kannur, and Malappuram, are likely to be expedited to ensure energy security in the coming years.
On the top of the list is the 400 kV substation proposed in Kasaragod under the Udupi-Kasaragod transmission system. With the 2024 summer likely to set a precedent for the coming years, the State-run power utility is also exploring the possibility of advancing the completion date of several transmission projects that were originally due for commissioning by 2030 under the long-term plan, a senior KSEB official said.
Cleared in 2016
“We already have projects lined up for the coming 10 years,” the official said. The KSEB had cleared TransGrid 2.0 in 2016. Designed to improve the reliability of the Kerala power system, the project has a total financial outlay of ₹9,425.37 crore.
Compared to the 2023 summer, electricity consumption in Kerala has shot up this year, putting a strain on KSEB resources. In the first four days of May, the year-on-year increase in consumption ranged between 22.33 million units (mu) and 28.99 mu. On May 3, Kerala had logged a record consumption of 115.94 mu. On the same day last year, it was 86.99 mu.
