POWERGRID Commissions Ramgarh–Bhadla-III Link Under Rajasthan’s 20 GW Renewable Energy Evacuation Scheme

Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID), the Maharatna central public sector enterprise under the Ministry of Power, has completely commissioned the “Transmission system for evacuation of power from REZ in Rajasthan (20 GW) under Phase-III Part-C1”. In a disclosure filed with the National Stock Exchange and BSE on 11 October 2026 under Regulation 30 of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015, the company stated that the project has been commissioned with effect from 22 September 2026. The Notification for Commercial Operation (DOCO), dated 7 October 2026, was received by email on 11 October 2026.

The commissioning connects the Ramgarh renewable energy complex in western Rajasthan to the inter-state transmission system (ISTS), adding another operational segment to the hybrid network planned to evacuate 20 GW of renewable power from the state.

Project Scope

According to the Request for Proposal issued by REC Power Development and Consultancy Limited (RECPDCL), the Bid Process Coordinator notified by the Ministry of Power, the scheme comprises three elements:

A new 765/400/220 kV pooling station at Ramgarh with 2×1,500 MVA (765/400 kV) and 2×500 MVA (400/220 kV) transformation capacity, along with 2×240 MVAr (765 kV) and 2×125 MVAr (420 kV) bus reactors.
The Ramgarh PS–Bhadla-III PS 765 kV double-circuit line, with a 240 MVAr switchable line reactor on each circuit at the Ramgarh end.
Two 765 kV line bays at the Bhadla-III pooling station.

POWERGRID’s project announcement also includes a Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM) at Ramgarh for voltage support. The Central Electricity Authority’s record of transmission lines completed during FY 2025-26 lists the Ramgarh PS–Bhadla-III PS 765 kV D/C line at 372 circuit-km, completed by POWERGRID in February 2026.

The RFP required the substation, line and bay elements to be commissioned together, as the utilisation of each depends on the others. The Ramgarh station also has space reserved for additional transformers and bays.

Place in the Phase-III Plan

The Phase-III scheme was evolved to integrate an additional 20 GW of renewable potential indicated by SECI across three Rajasthan zones: Fatehgarh (9.1 GW), Bhadla (8 GW) and Ramgarh (2.9 GW). A hybrid EHVAC and HVDC transmission system was agreed at the 3rd Northern Region Power Committee (Transmission Planning) meeting on 19 February 2021 and subsequently endorsed by the 5th National Committee on Transmission and the 49th NRPC meeting in 2021.

Within this architecture, Part-C1 forms the Ramgarh link. Ramgarh feeds into Bhadla-III, which connects onward to Fatehgarh-2 and Sikar-II, allowing power from the Ramgarh complex to be dispersed to beneficiaries across the ISTS network. POWERGRID has stated that the project will facilitate evacuation of 2.9 GW of renewable energy from the Ramgarh complex.

Phase-III Execution Gathers Pace

Part-C1 follows other POWERGRID packages under the same scheme. In March 2026, the Prime Minister inaugurated POWERGRID transmission projects worth over ₹3,600 crore in Rajasthan, including Phase-III Part-B1, which comprises the 765/400/220 kV Bhadla-III substation and the Bhadla-III–Sikar-II 765 kV D/C line. Part-C1 now extends this corridor westward to Ramgarh.

In August 2026, POWERGRID informed the stock exchanges that Phase-III Part-H had been commissioned with effect from 4 July 2026. Part-H covers a new 765/400 kV substation near Dausa with associated 765 kV and 400 kV lines, and supports evacuation of 9.1 GW from the Fatehgarh complex through Fatehgarh-3 and Beawar.

Further reinforcement of the Bhadla–Ramgarh corridor is already under way. On 29 July 2026, POWERGRID acquired Bhadla Ramgarh Power Transmission Limited from RECPDCL to carry out augmentation and bay extension works at the Bhadla-III and Ramgarh pooling stations and at Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh), with commissioning scheduled by 20 January 2029.

Implementation Model

POWERGRID secured Part-C1 under the Tariff-Based Competitive Bidding (TBCB) route, competing against private developers, and acquired the project SPV, Ramgarh II Transmission Limited. The asset has been developed on a Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) basis and is to be transferred to the Central Transmission Utility 35 years after commercial operation, with transmission charges recovered from designated ISTS customers under CERC sharing regulations.

The project SPV, POWERGRID Ramgarh II Transmission Limited, was amalgamated with POWERGRID Vataman Transmission Limited with effect from 1 March 2026, pursuant to a Ministry of Corporate Affairs order dated 27 January 2026. The Part-H SPV, POWERGRID Beawar Dausa Transmission Limited, was merged into the same entity under that order.

Significance

Rajasthan hosts some of India’s largest utility-scale solar installations, including the Bhadla solar park, which POWERGRID notes has a capacity exceeding 2.2 GW. As generation in western Rajasthan expands, dedicated extra-high-voltage evacuation corridors determine how much of this energy can reach demand centres in other states. With Part-C1 in service, the Ramgarh complex now has a 765 kV pathway into the national grid, supported by reactors and STATCOM for stable operation.

The project also adds to POWERGRID’s national asset base. As of 30 June 2026, the company was operating 291 substations, more than 1,86,595 circuit-km of transmission lines and 6,34,516 MVA of transformation capacity, with average transmission system availability above 99.80%. POWERGRID has linked its TBCB projects to the Government of India’s target of 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030.

Conclusion

The commissioning of Phase-III Part-C1 completes a key westward extension of Rajasthan’s renewable evacuation network, linking Ramgarh to Bhadla-III and the wider ISTS. Together with Part-B1 and Part-H, and with augmentation works scheduled through 2029, it reflects steady progress in building the transmission capacity that India’s renewable energy expansion depends on.