Asia-Pacific News

Latest news and developments from Asia-Pacific region

• Indian KSEB’s Pugalur–Madakkathara power corridor nears completion

  November 2, 2020
  Indian state Kerala's state-owned vertically-integrated power utility Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB), has recently announced that the 320 kV, 2000 MW Pugalur─Madakkathara high voltage direct current (HVDC) power corridor will be completed in November 2020.

• Indian UPPTCL energises 400 kV transformer in Noida

  November 2, 2020
  Indian state-owned transmission utility Uttar Pradesh Power Transmission Corporation Limited (UPPTCL) has recently energised a 200 MVA, 400/132 kV transformer in Noida. The latter was the second of four transformers in the 400 kV gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) substation.

• Philippine NGCP energises PHP1.1 billion transmission line

  November 2, 2020
  The concessionaire for the Philippine transmission network, National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), has recently energised the 138 kV Butuan─Placer transmission line.

• Indian GETCO re-launches bid under Green Energy Corridor Project

  October 30, 2020
  The state-owned Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation Limited (GETCO) has re-launched a bid under the Green Energy Corridor (GEC) Project funded by KfW Entwicklungsbank (KfW Bank).

• Major work on Pakistan’s ±660 kV Matiari–Lahore line reaches completion

  October 30, 2020
  A major chunk of essential works on the 886-km-long, ±660 kV high voltage direct current (HVDC) Matiari–Lahore Transmission Line Project has been completed by the Pak Matiari-Lahore Transmission Company Limited (PMLTCPL)—a special purpose vehicle (SPV) formed for the execution and completion of this project in Pakistan.

• Australia’s TransGrid inching towards better energy storage infrastructure

  October 30, 2020
  The New South Wales (NSW) transmission system operator (TSO), TransGrid, is all set to install and operate a 50 MW/75 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) in Western Sydney, Australia. The large-scale, lithium-ion BESS will be installed at TransGrid’s Wallgrove substation in NSW and will receive funding of AUD21.5 million from the federal and state government.

• Indonesia’s PLN completes Sulbar─Central Sulawesi interconnection [free access]

  October 27, 2020
  Indonesia’s state-owned power company, PT PLN (Persero), has completed the construction of the West Sulawesi (Sulbar) to Central Sulawesi interconnection, which consists of 534 towers that cross a 370.16-km-long circuit, panning across the Mamuju and Central Mamuju districts to North Mamuju District.

• New floating energy storage system to be introduced in Singapore

  October 27, 2020
  The Singapore government has set aside an amount of SGD49 million for research and development (R&D) in the low-carbon energy sector. A major initiative recently taken is to pilot a lithium-ion battery energy storage project on a "floating" lab, utilising seawater to cool the battery cells.

• Cambodian government approves transmission line projects

  October 26, 2020
  Cambodia’s government has recently approved several electricity infrastructure projects worth USD830 million, which includes a 150 MW hydropower dam, a 265 MW coal-fired power station and three transmission lines.

• Nepal’s hydropower project faces delay due to holdup on transmission line

  October 20, 2020
  State-owned power utility Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) is facing delays in the construction of the 132 kV Dordi Corridor transmission line in Lamjung. The line, running from Kirtipur in Dhodeni to the Udipur substation, could not be completed due to the Covid-19 lockdown.

• Bangladesh’s PGCB invites bids for construction of GIS substations

  October 20, 2020
  The state-owned Power Grid Company of Bangladesh Limited (PGCB) has invited bids for the construction of 230/132/33 kV gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) substations under the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)-funded ‘Dhaka and Western Zone Transmission Grid Expansion Project’.

• India’s Adani Transmission plans completion of 2 GW projects in Mumbai

  October 19, 2020
  India's private transmission company, Adani Transmission Limited (ATL), has recently put forward its intent to complete two critical transmission projects in Mumbai by December 2022.

• India’s Sterlite Power receives debt funding from PFC for VNLTL project [free access]

  October 19, 2020
  India-based power transmission asset developer, Sterlite Power Transmission Limited (SPTL), has received the entire debt funding of INR20.7 billion for its Vapi II North Lakhimpur Transmission Limited (VNLTL) project, from Power Finance Corporation (PFC).

• Singapore installs first utility-scale energy storage system

  October 19, 2020
  Singapore’s Energy Market Authority (EMA) has installed its first utility-scale energy storage system at a substation in Woodlands. The system was jointly funded by EMA and country’s electric utility SP Group, and implemented by a consortium comprising local solar energy firm Sunseap Energy Ventures, local Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Finnish energy solutions provider Wartsila.

• Nepal’s 400 kV Dhalkebar substation nears completion

  October 15, 2020
  Construction work on state-owned power utility Nepal Electricity Authority’s (NEA) 400 kV Dhalkebar substation has reached the final stage, and the substation is ready to be charged.

• Bangladesh’s PGCB faces delay in transmission projects for Rooppur NPP

  October 15, 2020
  The state-owned Power Grid Company of Bangladesh Limited (PGCB) is facing delays in the power transmission projects that were taken up to facilitate power evacuation from the country’s maiden nuclear power plant (NPP)—Rooppur NPP.

• China’s Xinjiang Electric operationalises 750 kV transmission line

  October 14, 2020
  The Chinese engineering, procurement, construction (EPC) service provider, Xinjiang Electric Power Company (XEPC)—a wholly-owned subsidiary of State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC)—has operationalised a 341-km-long, 750 kV voltage transmission line connecting the Altay Prefecture and the northern Junggar Basin located in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of Northwest China.

• Indian CEA discusses alternative corridor for securing Mumbai’s power supply post major grid disturbance

  October 14, 2020
  Recently, a committee headed by India electricity planning authority Central Electricity Authority (CEA) discussed the possibility of developing an alternate high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission corridor to evacuate 1,000 MW of power from Kudus in Palghar district to Aarey Colony in North Mumbai.

• Work on Solu Corridor transmission line set to resume in Nepal [free access]

  October 14, 2020
  State-owned power company Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has announced that the work on the long-delayed Solu Corridor 132 kV double-circuit transmission line is set to be resumed after sorting out issues with the local residents. Already 95 per cent of the work on the project has been completed, with 288 of the 302 towers installed.

• Indian State ETF committee allocates budget for transmission in Lucknow

  October 13, 2020
  The energy task force (ETF) committee of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh has carried forward the plans of strengthening the power transmission sector of Lucknow by allocating a total budget of INR9.75 billion to the state.