Looking forward to participate in the expansion of the transmission network

In an interview with EPR Magazine, Malcolm Wrigley, Chief Operating Officer, CLP India, shares his thoughts on the current scenario and opportunities in the Indian power transmission sector.

What is your view on the current market trends in India’s power transmission infrastructure?

India’s transmission infrastructure will continue to expand at a rate much faster than the economic growth would imply. The evolution of the national pool for payments for interstate projects, the annuity nature of business, and the regulatory maturity in the country is making global capital look at the transmission sector for investments. The short and medium-term expansion will be driven mainly by the need to accommodate the burgeoning renewable energy (RE) drive, with the construction of hundreds of GWs of capacity in wind and solar power. In the medium-and-long term, the growth of the transmission sector will be driven by the conversion of the country’s transportation fleet to electric vehicles (EVs), as indicated in recent announcements by the government. Both these trends will increase the need for the transmission of power and therefore require the expansion of the transmission network.  

What kind of revival are you looking at to improve the existing transmission lines and infrastructure in the country?  

The revival of the transmission system in India has been going on for quite some time now, with significant increase in the strength of the transmission system and the resultant increase in reliability. This trend is set to continue with ongoing investments in the system and with the linking of regional grids into a national network. While we have seen phenomenal investments and growth in the interstate transmission sector in the past few years, the intrastate transmission sector still lags by a distance and has considerable scope for improvement. We expect large-scale investments in state grids to catch up with the growth requirements of the sector, including the augmenting of existing transmission and transformation capacities.

What are the revival and maintenance activities that CLP India is engaged with in this direction?   

CLP India plans to participate in the planned expansion of the transmission network with sizeable investments. It is a part of our growth plans. While we have a relatively small investment in transmission at the moment, it is set to expand through both acquisition and greenfield construction, following competitive bidding.  We will continue to maintain our existing assets to the highest standards to deliver the level of reliability demanded by our clients.

With the T&D infrastructure set for a revival to meet the emerging smart initiatives in the country, what are your immediate plans in power transmission infrastructure developments? 

We are preparing to participate in the next round of greenfield bidding for the construction, ownership, and operation of transmission links in selected states across India.