Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) passed an order in the petition filed by Barmer I Transmission Limited, which is a 100% wholly owned subsidiary of Power Grid Corporation of India Limited. The petition was filed under Section 63 of the Electricity Act, 2003, for the adoption of transmission charges for the transmission system being established by Barmer I Transmission Limited. This project involves the transmission system for evacuation of power from Rajasthan Renewable Energy Zone Phase-IV (Part-2: 5.5 GW) Jaisalmer/Barmer Complex, Part F.
Barmer I Transmission Limited requested CERC to adopt the transmission charges discovered through a competitive bidding process for this project. The bidding was conducted by PFC Consulting Limited (PFCCL), which was appointed as the Bid Process Coordinator by the Ministry of Power, Government of India. The bidding process followed the guidelines set under Section 63 of the Electricity Act and included both technical and financial evaluations. After a transparent bidding process, Power Grid Corporation of India Limited was declared the successful bidder with the lowest quoted transmission charges of ₹2,473.60 million per annum.
The bidding process began with the publication of the Request for Proposal (RfP) on 28th October 2023. The last date for submission of technical and financial bids was 19th April 2024. The financial bids were opened on 23rd September 2024, and the e-reverse auction was conducted on 24th September 2024. The Letter of Intent (LoI) was issued to Power Grid Corporation of India Limited on 9th October 2024. The agreements were signed, and the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), Barmer I Transmission Limited, was transferred on 7th November 2024.
As per the bid conditions, the successful bidder had to furnish a Contract Performance Guarantee (PBG) of ₹73.50 crores (₹735 million). This PBG was submitted by Power Grid Corporation of India Limited on 7th November 2024 in favor of the Central Transmission Utility of India Limited (CTUIL).
The estimated cost of the project is ₹2,495.69 crores (₹24,956.90 million). The project includes several key transmission elements like the establishment of 765/400 kV and 400/220 kV substations, and high-capacity transmission lines connecting Barmer-I Pooling Station, Fatehgarh-III, and Sirohi. The scheduled completion date for these transmission elements is 24 months from the date of SPV transfer.
The CERC examined the entire bidding process and found it to be in line with the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Power. The commission adopted the annual transmission charges of ₹2,473.60 million per annum as quoted by Power Grid Corporation of India Limited. These charges will remain valid throughout the tenure of the Transmission Service Agreement (TSA).
The transmission charges will be shared among the designated ISTS customers as per the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (Sharing of Inter-State Transmission Charges and Losses) Regulations, 2020, and any amendments made to them in the future. The petition was disposed of with this order.
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