Government Unveils Ambitious INR 9.15 Lakh Crore Power Infrastructure Expansion Plan by 2030 Under the new plan, the transmission network will be expanded from 4.85 lakh circuit kilometers (ckm) in 2024 to 6.48 lakh ckm by 2032.
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The Indian government has announced a significant expansion of the country's power transmission infrastructure as part of the revised National Electricity Plan (NEP) 2023-2032. Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar shared key highlights of the plan on Monday, emphasizing the need to meet a projected peak electricity demand of 458 GW by 2032, up from over 240 GW in 2023.
Under the new plan, the transmission network will be expanded from 4.85 lakh circuit kilometers (ckm) in 2024 to 6.48 lakh ckm by 2032. In the same period, the transformation capacity is expected to surge from 1,251 GVA (gigavolt amperes) to 2,342 GVA, significantly enhancing the ability to distribute power across the nation.
The government is anticipating investments of INR 9.15 lakh crore in central and state transmission systems by 2032 to fund this ambitious expansion. The plan will help meet the growing electricity demand and support the integration of renewable energy, including green hydrogen, into the grid, explained the minister.
A key feature of the NEP is the addition of nine High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) lines with a capacity of 33.25 GW. This will double the current HVDC capacity, enabling more efficient long-distance electricity transmission. Inter-Regional transfer capacity is also set to rise from 119 GW to 168 GW by 2032.
The minister also revealed progress in thermal power generation, highlighting that the country's current thermal capacity stands at 217 GW, with an additional 28.4 GW under construction. Further, the government is planning to approve 50 GW of inter-state transmission systems (ISTS) to evacuate up to 280 GW of variable renewable energy (VRE) by 2030, including offshore wind projects in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.
Khattar underlined the importance of coal-based power to meet demand until renewable energy becomes fully viable. The government expects to rely on thermal power until at least 2035, with 12.8 GW of new coal-based capacity awarded in the last 100 days alone.
