Thrissur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated POWERGRID’s 320 kV 2000 MW Pugalur- Thrissur High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) project. The event was held over videoconference.

Union Minister of State for Power, New and Renewable Energy and Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship R. K. Singh, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and senior officials of the Union Ministry of Power and the Department of Power in the State, and POWERGRID officials attended the function.

The Pugalur-Thrissur HVDC system that cost ₹5,070 crore, is part of the Raigarh-Pugalur-Thrissur 6,000 MW HVDC system and enables transfer of 2,000 MW to Kerala through the HVDC station at Madakkathara, Thrissur.

The state-of-the-art Voltage Source Convertor (VSC) technology has been brought to the country for the first time by POWERGRID through this project. The VSC technology significantly reduces land requirement compared to conventional HVDC systems and is particularly suitable for Kerala, where land is scarce.

It also facilitates development of smart grid and improves system resilience under various operating conditions.

A unique feature of this project is the combination of overhead line and underground conductor for transmission of power. The POWERGRID optimised the right of way requirement through innovative tower design and use of cable.

Major HVDC equipment such as interface transformers and IGBT-based power converters, AC equipment such as gas insulated substation, switchgear, controls and relay panels have been supplied by factories in the country, thereby giving a major boost to the Make in India programme.