New 400 kV transmission line to boost Mumbai’s power supply
The 400 kV Kharghar-Vikhroli line will bring additional 1,000 MW of reliable power to Mumbai.
Image for illustration purposes
India, Mumbai: The 400 kV Kharghar-Vikhroli line will bring additional 1,000 MW of reliable power to Mumbai.
The city of Mumbai has now achieved National Grid connectivity at 400 kV, thanks to a transmission system newly commissioned by Adani Energy Solutions Ltd (AESL). The system was commissioned by special purpose vehicle “Kharghar Vikhroli Transmission Ltd,” (KVTL) owned by AESL. The new system – comprising infrastructure at both 220kV and 400kV voltage levels – will enable additional power to be brought into Mumbai, helping the city meet its growing electricity demand.
The project is critical for Mumbai as the existing capacity of the transmission corridor is not sufficient to carry further power into the city. Mumbai witnessed major grid failure on two occasions in recent history – on February 27, 2022, and earlier on October 12, 2020.
The Kharghar-Vikhroli line will bring additional 1,000 MW of reliable power to Mumbai as a solution to mitigate such incidents in the future. For consumers, the line will provide more stability to commuting through bullet trains, Metro Rail and city railways, and for commercial and residential establishments.
The line is comprised of approximately 74 ckm of 400kV and 220kV transmission lines, along with a 1,500 MVA, 400kV GIS substation at Vikhroli. The project starts in the Kharghar area of Navi Mumbai, traverses through its urban locations and terminates at Vikhroli in Mumbai. The project includes the following major elements: the Vikhroli substation with 1500 MVA transformation capacity, an air insulated switchyard at Kharghar, the 400kV double/multi circuit Kharghar-Vikhroli line, a 400kV loop-in loop-out (LILO) on Talegaon-Kalwa line at Vikhroli and a 22 kV LILO on Trombay-Salsette line at Vikhroli.
The Vikhroli substation is the first GIS substation in Mumbai at 400kV level. With just 9,500 sqm of geographical footprint, it has the most compact design when it comes to 400 KV substations. Its unique design vertically stacks 400kV and 220kV GIS, minimizing space requirements. Challenges while laying the line included surmounting difficult terrain and overcoming height restrictions.
Adani Energy Solutions is also developing another important project in Mumbai, which aims at facilitating import of 1,000 MW of power through 80 km of HVDC lines, most of them underground. The project is currently under construction with commissioning likely by March 2025.
Source: T&D India