Srinagar, Oct 23: Ladakh, which currently relies on a single transmission line passing through Kashmir for its connection to the national electricity grid, could get an alternative power corridor under a Rs 31,427 crore project proposed by the Central Transmission Utility of India Limited (CTUIL).
The project, which will come up for discussion at a special meeting of the Northern Regional Power Committee (NRPC) on October 27, seeks to strengthen Ladakh’s electricity network while creating infrastructure to transmit renewable energy generated in the region to other parts of the country.
According to the additional agenda issued by the NRPC on October 23, copy of which lies with Rising Kashmir, Ladakh currently draws power from the national grid through POWERGRID’s 220-kV Srinagar (Alusteng)–Leh single-circuit line, which feeds substations at Drass, Kargil, Khalasti and Leh.
The proposed network would give Ladakh another route to the national grid through Himachal Pradesh, reducing its dependence on the existing Kashmir-linked corridor.
The plan includes a new 149-km, 220-kV transmission line between Pang and Leh’s Phyang substation. From Pang, two 400-kV double-circuit transmission lines, each approximately 273 km long, are proposed towards Sundernagar in Himachal Pradesh, with further connections to Mohali and other parts of the northern grid.
The project is designed to integrate 7.5 gigawatts of renewable energy, with 3.75 GW available during solar hours and an equivalent capacity during non-solar hours through battery storage.
The revised plan follows technical difficulties encountered in implementing an earlier transmission scheme approved by the Union Cabinet in 2023.
That project, estimated at Rs 20,773.70 crore, was designed to evacuate power from 13 GW of renewable energy projects in Ladakh through a high-voltage direct current system connecting Pang with Kaithal in Haryana.
However, technical assessments subsequently found that the proposed system could not be implemented in its original form.
The NRPC document records that Pang, situated at an altitude of about 4,700 metres, experiences temperatures as low as minus 35 degrees Celsius. The extreme altitude, equipment limitations and difficult transportation conditions made the earlier technology technically infeasible.
Following consultations involving the Central Electricity Authority, CTUIL, POWERGRID and other agencies, an alternative system using extra-high-voltage alternating current technology was worked out.
The revised proposal carries an estimated cost of Rs 31,427.54 crore and has been divided into two phases.
The first phase, costing Rs 25,225.87 crore, would provide 2,000 MW of transmission capacity, while the second, estimated at Rs 6,201.67 crore, would add another 1,750 MW.
The proposed implementation period is 48 months.
The project will nevertheless have to overcome considerable construction difficulties. POWERGRID has identified heavy snowfall, avalanche-prone stretches, narrow mountain corridors and poor road connectivity as major challenges along the route.
The document states that nearly 35 different tower designs may be required because of variations in altitude, wind conditions, soil characteristics and snowfall.
Construction work could also be limited to five or six months a year, particularly along high-altitude stretches crossing Baralacha, Lachung-La, Tangla-La and Rohtang.
Despite these challenges, preparatory work has already been undertaken. POWERGRID has completed surveys for parts of the transmission route, identified roads and bridges requiring strengthening and made arrangements for work at high altitudes.
The corporation has reported expenditure of approximately Rs 400 crore on preparatory activities.
The proposed corridor is significant for Ladakh because the existing Srinagar–Leh transmission line remains its only connection to the national grid. A second route would provide another option for supplying power if the existing corridor faces operational difficulties.
The new network would also connect Ladakh’s proposed renewable energy projects with electricity demand centres outside the region.
The NRPC is expected to consider the revised proposal at its October 27 meeting before further decisions on its implementation are taken.
