Khavda 765 kV Evacuation Corridor (KPS1/KPS2)
The 765 kV double-circuit backbone that evacuates the world's largest RE park — pooling stations, GIS bays and lines built in lockstep with generation.
Footage · ET Now · YouTube
approx. 30 GW
Target evacuation capacity
phased buildout matching Khavda RE park capacity
765 kV
Voltage class
EHV AC double-circuit backbone
approx. 150 km
Corridor span
Khavda-Bhuj-Lakadia stretch
KPS1 & KPS2
Pooling stations
765 kV GIS switching/pooling hubs
approx. 6,000 MW
Per-circuit AC capacity
typical rating for 765 kV D/C AC line
approx. ₹8,000 cr
Transmission capex
TBCB-awarded scheme, multiple packages
2019-2020
Gujarat and central government designate Khavda, Kutch as site for a large hybrid (solar-wind-storage) RE park, later scaled toward approx. 30 GW.
2021
Central Transmission Utility notifies the Khavda evacuation transmission scheme; 765 kV pooling stations and TBCB bidding for lines initiated.
2022-2023
Construction of Khavda Pooling Station 1 and 2 (KPS1/KPS2) GIS bays and associated 765 kV double-circuit lines toward Bhuj begins.
2023-2024
First 765 kV circuits energized ahead of initial RE capacity blocks; phased commissioning matched to generator connection milestones.
2024-2025
Additional 765 kV Khavda-Lakadia stretches charged, progressively raising evacuation capability as generation capacity is added in tranches.
2025
Grid operators report periods of transmission-generation mismatch, prompting tighter coordination between CTU, state utility and developers on phasing.
Khavda's 765 kV double-circuit backbone is the clearest live test of India's model for building transmission in lockstep with utility-scale RE: multiple 765 kV pooling stations and GIS bays evacuating a single 30 GW hybrid park. For developers and lenders it is a reference case on sequencing risk, TBCB-based private transmission financing, and the congestion/curtailment exposure that arises when generation and grid capacity are not perfectly phased — directly relevant to every future ultra-mega RE zone in India.
Khavda is becoming the reference model for India's next wave of ultra-mega RE parks (Rajasthan, Ladakh corridors, offshore wind zones): CTU-led transmission schemes under TBCB, GIS-based 765 kV pooling to save land, and phased energization tied to GNA-style connection agreements. Developers bidding into future REZs should factor CEA's transmission planning criteria and likely curtailment risk into PPA and DSCR assumptions; lenders should treat transmission-commissioning-linked cash flow risk as a distinct diligence item alongside generation execution risk.
Engineering, procurement and finance lessons
01
Transmission must lead, not trail, generation
Khavda shows that even with early planning, RE capacity addition can outpace line energization in some phases, causing temporary curtailment. Developers should stress-test PPAs and revenue models against realistic transmission commissioning dates, not just CTU's target schedule.
02
GIS at 765 kV solves the land-constraint problem
Gas-insulated switchgear pooling stations let KPS1/KPS2 fit high-capacity switching yards into a compact RE-zone footprint, avoiding the sprawling AIS land take that would be unworkable amid dense solar-wind arrays; a template for other tight-footprint REZs.
03
TBCB brings private capital but needs strong RoW support
Competitive bidding for the Khavda lines mobilised private transmission capex efficiently, but execution speed still depended heavily on state-level right-of-way and forest/land clearances — financiers should price in clearance-timeline risk separately from construction risk.
04
Phased energization protects against stranded generation assets
Aligning line/bay commissioning to discrete generation capacity blocks (rather than a single big-bang energization) reduces the risk of large stranded RE capacity awaiting evacuation, a key structuring lesson for lenders financing generation-side assets ahead of grid readiness.
05
Single-window coordination across multiple developers is essential
With many independent RE generators connecting into shared 765 kV pooling infrastructure, ambiguity in connection agreements and cost-sharing can delay energization; clear GNA (general network access)-style protocols and a coordinating nodal agency materially de-risk timelines.
Sources · Central Electricity Authority (CEA) · Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCIL) · Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) · Gujarat Energy Development Agency (GEDA)
- Transmission-generation sequencing due diligence and curtailment-risk modelling for lenders financing RE capacity at REZs like Khavda.
- Structuring and bid support for TBCB transmission packages and GNA connection agreements for developers and transmission investors.
- Regulatory and PPP advisory bridging CTU/state utility coordination gaps in multi-developer pooling station projects.