SJVN’s proposal for overhead transmission lines for its 1,000 MW solar power project in Bikaner, Rajasthan, has been accepted by the Ministry of Power (MoP). SJVN had published a notice for the transmission programme in local newspapers and the Weekly Gazette of India on 15 November 2022, requesting comments or objections on the proposed transmission route within 60 days of publication. Following that, SJVN stated that only one protest had been received from Juniper Green Cosmic, which was later withdrawn. According to the notification, MoP granted authority for 25 years, and SJVN will need to obtain permission from the authorities before constructing the proposed lines.
The transmission lines will go through the villages of Bandarewala, Deensar, Barala, Bhanipura, Sarah Barola, Gol Pratap Singh, Kawni, Mehrasar, Jaimalsar, Nokha Daiya, and Randhisar in Bikaner district.The Electricity Act of 2003 requires SJVN to follow the requirements of the competent commission on transmission, operation and maintenance, and open access.
Only after receiving approval from the central government’s electrical inspector or chief electrical inspector will the applicant run the lines. During the electrical inspection, the corporation will be required to submit the necessary approvals to the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) after getting them from agencies such as civil aviation and defence. SJVN received a contract from the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) to create a 1 GW grid-connected solar power project under the CPSU Phase-II (Tranche-III) programme under viability gap funding.
In June 2023, SJVN Limited signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Maharashtra State Power Generation Company Limited (MAHAGENCO) for the development of 5,000 MW renewable energy projects in Maharashtra. The MoU has been signed to explore the feasibility of setting up various renewable projects in Maharashtra, which includes hydro, pumped storage, wind, solar, hybrid and green hydrogen projects.
