Augmentation of power infrastructure in the Capital region gained pace with the government sanctioning 20 km and 10 km of underground cabling in Vijayawada and Guntur cities respectively in the first phase.

Besides, sanction has been given for laying covered cables to an extent of 23 km in Vijayawada city and 10 km in Guntur. The government has also cleared the decks for setting up two gas-insulated substations in Vijayawada and Guntur.

Covered cables can withstand the vagaries of nature and are expensive compared to the conventional wires due to their insulation with special materials.

Their coming into contact with trees or other objects will not cause tripping of power supply, which is to be avoided in the changed circumstances.  

The Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (SPDCL) is taking necessary steps for laying the cables and constructing smaller substations under its purview while APTransco takes care of larger ones, under the Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS), according to official sources. The underground cables will have alternative (backup) cables to meet any contingency caused by possible breakdowns.

Land has been identified for almost all the substations in Vijayawada and Guntur and the construction works are expected to begin in a couple of months.

To ensure supply of quality power, the APTransco and APGenco have proposed a ring of 400 KV substations, called Amaravathi Ring, at Chilakaluripet, Inavolu and Sattenapalli in Guntur district, Podili in Prakasam district, Gudivada in Krishna district and Vemagiri in East Godavari to be connected to the 800 MW unit of Narla Tatarao Thermal Power Station (Vijayawada) which is under construction.

These new facilities are meant for bearing heavier loads effectively thereby ensure uninterrupted supply.

It may be recalled that the Transco had submitted proposals for new substations across the Capital region, to Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) seeking land and other forms of logistical support. The proposals are accompanied by GPS coordinates of sites where the substations are planned to be constructed.

The projects are sought to be given top priority keeping in view the speed at which government departments are shifting to Vijayawada and interest being evinced by prospective entrepreneurs in setting up their units in the Capital region.