GE Power has commissioned a first-of-its-kind project for a 400/200 kV Gas Insulated Substation (GIS) in northern Kashmir.
The project, which was commissioned two months ahead of schedule, is part of the Northern Region System Strengthening 29 (NRSS 29) project. The project was awarded to Sterlite Power by the Indian Government through tariff-based competitive bidding in May 2014 and led by GE T&D India Limited, the listed entity of GE Power’s Grid Solutions business in India.
The project will provide over half a million Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) citizens access to reliable power sources year-round. The Kashmir valley region in Northern India suffers from blackouts during the harsh winter months – leaving many families exposed to severe cold. The transmission lines spread over 400 km from Samba in Jammu to Amargarh in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district and passes through 11 major towns and districts of J&K.
GE has commissioned more than four hundred 400kV GIS bays across India, but this project was the first time the company delivered a solution under harsh weather and sub-zero temperatures in India. Situated at an altitude of 1,710 mts (5,610 ft) in the snow-covered hills of Amargarh, this project was implemented in record time amidst tough conditions.
“Specially designed vehicles were used to transport the heavy equipment from different locations across India and deliver them safely to the site, overcoming several considerable constraints like narrow tunnels and rough terrains,” said Shailesh Mishra, Business Unit Head, Turnkey SolutionsSouth Asia for GE Grid solutions.
“Transporting the material through Jawahar Tunnel was especially challenging. For transportation of transformers we had to dismantle the entire lighting rail and fixtures of Jawahar tunnel and re-do it within a limited time window.”
