The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister, has approved the Green Energy Corridor Phase-II program for intrastate transmission systems. The programme aims to add approximately 10,750 circuit kilometres of transmission lines and 27,500 Mega Volt-Amperes of substation transformation capacity. Around 20 GW of renewable energy projects in Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh will benefit from the program’s grid integration and electricity evacuation.
The Green Energy Corridor Phase-II will be built at an estimated cost of Rs 120.31 billion. As part of the central financial assistance (CFA), the government will contribute 33 per cent of the project cost, which is Rs 39.7 billion. The CFA is expected to help offset intra-state transmission charges, thereby lowering power costs. The intrastate transmission system will be built over a five-year period, from 2021-22 to 2025-26. The system will assist the country in meeting its installed renewable energy target of 450 GW by 2030.
The scheme will also contribute to the country’s long-term energy security and promote ecologically sustainable growth by reducing carbon footprint. It will create a large number of direct and indirect employment opportunities in the power and other related sectors for both skilled and unskilled workers. The Green Energy Corridor Phase-I is being implemented in states such as Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu. The Phase-I programme is expected to integrate approximately 24 GW of renewable energy into the grid by 2022.
