Asia-Pacific News

Latest news and developments from Asia-Pacific region

• Linxon completes construction of 400 kV AIS substation in Bihar, India

  September 9, 2021
  Linxon, a Hitachi ABB Power Grids and SNC-Lavalin company, has completed the construction of the 400 kV air-insulated switchgear (AIS) Chandauti substation for Powergrid Mithilanchal Transmission Limited (PMTL)—a wholly-owned subsidiary of Power Grid Corporation of India (POWERGRID).

• Philippine NGCP seeks ERC approval for additional projects worth PHP34 billion

  September 7, 2021
  The concessionaire for the Philippine transmission network, National Grid Corporation of Philippines (NGCP), is seeking the Energy Regulatory Commission’s (ERC) approval for undertaking over PHP34 billion in capital expenditures (capex) for its transmission projects nationwide, from this year until 2025.

• Taiwan starts trial operation of Changhua Phase 1 OSW farm [free access]

  September 7, 2021
  Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) has started trial operation of its 109.2 MW Changhua Phase 1 offshore wind farm, after installing the 21 wind turbines and connecting the cables.

• Indian GSECL invites bids for solar plus battery project in Gujarat

  September 6, 2021
  Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited (GSECL) has invited bids for an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for a 35 MW grid-connected solar project with a 57 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) at the Kutch Lignite Thermal Power Station.

• Vietnam’s EVNNPC energises 110 kV line

  September 6, 2021
  State-owned Electricity of Vietnam’s (EVN) subsidiary Northern Power Corporation (EVNNPC) has successfully energised the 110 kV branch transmission line supplying power to the 110 kV substation of Long Son.

• Indian court halts POWERGRID’s OHL deployment in Rajasthan on environmental grounds

  September 2, 2021
  The laying of overhead transmission lines (OHL) for Indian grid developer Power Grid Corporation of India’s (POWERGRID) three transmission projects in Rajasthan has been halted, after the Supreme Court ruled that such lines should be laid underground to protect the habitat for the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard (GIB).

• Pakistan achieves commercial operation of ±660 kV Matiari–Lahore line

  September 2, 2021
  The ±660 kV high voltage direct current (HVDC) Matiari─Lahore transmission line project was commercially energised on schedule on September 1, 2021.

• Nepal’s NEA to build new substation for link with China

  September 2, 2021
  The state-owned power utility Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) had earlier planned a 400 kV substation at Ratmate in Nuwakot district for the proposed Nepal–China cross-border transmission line. The substation was earlier being funded through the USD500 million US Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) grant for Electricity Transmission Projects (ETP).

• Australia introduces Offshore Electricity Infrastructure Bill 2021 [free access]

  September 2, 2021
  The government of Australia has introduced the Offshore Electricity Infrastructure Bill 2021, which will allow offshore wind projects to operate in Commonwealth waters. Under the legislation, the National Offshore Petroleum Titles Administrator (NOPTA) will oversee licences for offshore projects, while the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) will have oversight of ongoing operations and safety.

• VRB Energy begins work on 100 MW storage system in China

  September 1, 2021
  Global firm VRB Energy has begun work on the first phase of a 100 MW/ 500 MWh vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) storage system, which will be paired with 1 GW of wind power and solar PV generation in China.

• Queensland’s CopperString 2.0 project granted transmission approval

  September 1, 2021
  According to Australian Queensland's electricity regulator, CuString Pty Ltd has been successfully granted electricity transmission authority, which would enable its CopperString 2.0 project to connect Mount Isa and the North West Mineral Province to the national electricity grid.

• Pakistan’s CCoE urges NTDC to complete LEPCL transmission interconnector on time

  August 27, 2021
  Pakistan’s Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCoE) has urged the state-owned high voltage network developer, National Transmission and Despatch Company Limited (NTDC), to complete the construction of the 500 kV line needed for evacuating power from the 660 MW Lucky Electric Coal-Fired Power Plant (LEPCL).

• Philippine Aboitiz to build 73 transmission poles

  August 26, 2021
  The Philippines' leading power company, Aboitiz Power Corporation, has partnered with power distributor Lima EnerZone, to construct transmission poles.

• India’s POWERGRID commissions 765 kV Vindhyachal–Varanasi transmission line

  August 25, 2021
  Indian grid developer Power Grid Corporation of India (POWERGRID) has recently commissioned the 765 kV double-circuit Vindhyachal–Varanasi transmission line.

• Funding urged for transmission project linking Vietnam’s Con Dao Island with national grid

  August 25, 2021
  A request from Vietnam’s southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau has been made to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) and state-owned utility Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) to allocate funds for a proposed transmission network to connect the Con Dao island of the province to the national grid.

• Indian government plans to generate INR452 billion by monetising transmission assets by 2025

  August 24, 2021
  The Indian government intends to generate over INR452 billion by end of fiscal year 2025 from the monetisation of transmission assets. The valuation here is indicative and would depend on factors such as financial and market conditions, asset profile and transaction structure.

• Japanese TEPCO signs consulting agreement with Singapore’s SP Group

  August 23, 2021
  Japanese integrated power utility Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) and its affiliate firm Kandenko Company Limited have entered into a consulting agreement with Singapore’s electric utility SP Group concerning its plan to build an underground substation.

• Uzbekistan to expand grid capacity by end-2021

  August 18, 2021
  Recently, Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Energy has shed light on some important projects slated for completion this year.

• Indian Jammu & Kashmir to add 3,000 MVA of grid capacity in 2021

  August 17, 2021
  The Indian Union Territory (UT) of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) will witness the highest ever capacity addition in the transmission sector this year.

• Nepal’s NEA completes first phase of construction for 220 kV Koshi Corridor

  August 17, 2021
  The first section of Nepal’s 220 kV Koshi Corridor was recently completed by state-owned power utility Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA).