TN to get 500 MW from Gujarat in 2014

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu will get only 200 MW of power from Gujarat against the demand of 500 MW due to the non-connectivity of the southern grid with the new grid and the state’s power woes will come to an end once the connectivity is established by 2014, said a source connected to the project. “The state has sought 500 MW power to tide over the crisis, but currently it will be getting only 200 MW of power through the HVDC link and it will not be able to avail of 300 MW of additional power due to lack of connectivity between the southern and the new grid which can come into being only in 2014 after the laying of 765 KV line between Raichur in Karnataka to Solapur in Maharashtra,” said Power Research and Development Consultants chief general manager K Balaraman.Speaking to Express on the sidelines of a two-day conference on Renewable Energy Sector Policy Challenges here on Wednesday, Balaraman said, “The target to link both the southern grid and the new grid, which consists of north, east, west and north-east areas, was expected to be achieved by December 2013. Now the issue of inter-connectivity will be over by 2014.”He said Gujarat was willing to give power to Tamil Nadu but the hitch was that there was no line available to transmit the full 500 MW power to the state. “Once this link is established, not only Gujarat, which is a power surplus state, but other northern states will be able to export power to the state,” he added.He said the linking of the grid would ensure seamless transfer of power from the southern region and the rest of the country. Balaraman also denied allegations that the transmission and distribution loss from the KKNPP will be more. He said the transmission and distribution would be least and not more than two per cent.