OPTIMAL UTILISATION OF TECHNOLOGY THROUGH CONSTANT INNOVATION

We are consistently striving towards delivering innovative solutions to age-old problems faced in project development, just as we have been doing in other aspects of a transmission project’s lifecycle. We strongly believe that innovation and sustainability go hand-in-hand and when implemented strategically, it can enhance competitive advantage for businesses.

With the recent commissioning of India’s first vertical GIS substation built as part of the Gurgaon Palwal Transmission project, along with implementation of multi-circuit monopole towers for transmission lines, we managed to save as much as 75% on land usage. This helped us in preserving the region's forests to a large extent. Apart from saving land, these innovations have resulted in offsetting more than 18,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions each year, as compared to a conventional layout for a similar GIS substation.

In a similar vein, a prime example of multi-competency’s collaboration emerged with the successful deployment of a newly designed product that enables critical clearance for long spans. The newly developed ACCC ULS Ganga was utilised at one of India’s longest river crossings across River Ganga, at the Purnia Bihar Sharif transmission line, at a span of ~1.1 km.

Operating Model

Portfolio

NEW ADDITIONS TO PORTFOLIO

We made significant progress towards our strategic priorities in the last year, chief of which is being declared the winning bidder for three new projects – the Transmission System for Lakadia – Vadodara Transmission Project, the Transmission System for Udupi-Kasargode, the WRSS-XIX and NERSS-IX transmission project. All three projects are unique and true to our core purpose of ‘Empowering Humanity by addressing the toughest challenges of energy delivery’.

Western Region Strengthening Scheme - XIX (WRSS-XIX) and North Eastern Region Strengthening Scheme - IX (NERSS-IX)

This project aims at strengthening the transmission system in western and north-eastern regions of India. It seeks to address decongestion of corridors, along with the delivery of power to high habitation and industrial zones. The project will cover the Vapi area in Gujarat and Navi Mumbai in Maharashtra in the West, while in the North East, it intends to supply power from Pare Hydro Electric Plant to far-flung areas of Arunachal Pradesh.

The project elements include transmission lines at various voltage levels and a GIS substation at Vapi. It encounters severe Right of Way (RoW) constrained zones in Gujarat and Maharashtra. It also faces the challenge of navigating a major forested area in the North East.

Lakadia – Vadodara Transmission Project (LVTPL)

The second project, Lakadia – Vadodara Transmission Project (LVTPL) is part of the Western Region Strengthening Scheme – XXI (WRSS XXI) Part B, which intends to connect Lakadia to Vadodara in Gujarat, to enable evacuation of RE. The project comprises more than 650 ckm of 765 kV transmission line. This project is part of India’s GEC and will enable the country’s RE target of achieving 175 GW renewable energy (RE) by 2022.

Udupi Kasargode Transmission Project (UKTL)

This project will take place in Karnataka and Kerala and aims at system-strengthening and power supply to urban areas of Kerala. The project comprises a GIS substation at Kasargode in Kerala and a 400 kV transmission line. We face the challenge of RoW in this project as well.

WRSS-XIX and NERSS-IX intends to supply power from Pare Hydro Electric Plant to far-flung areas of Arunachal Pradesh

Target of achieving 175 GW RE by 2022

FOOTPRINT IN INDIA

This map is a graphical representation designed for general reference purposes only

BRAZIL

We commissioned our first project in Brazil and that too, 28 months ahead of schedule, while also emerging as winner in the auction of the prestigious Pampa project. In a short span of time, we have developed a portfolio of total 10 transmission projects in the fast-growing South American nation, spanning 4,416 ckm, through a total capex of `10,760 Crore (US$ 1.46 Billion).

This map is a graphical representation designed for general reference purposes only

LICENCE TO OPERATE

Our projects in Brazil are based on trust, relationship and a synchronised effort made by the environmental bodies and regulatory agencies involved in the environmental licensing process. All environmental licensing processes go through a wide range of discussion with several agencies. This enables us to design projects of high environmental quality, which is well received by the regulators, the society and the communities.

In 2019, we conducted 41 such processes: 16 with environmental licensing agencies; 19 with archaeological and historical heritage agency, four with Quilombola communities* agencies and two with the bodies responsible for health^ in the Legal Amazon region.

RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY

We understand that access to information about our projects is an important tool to build and maintain a good relationship with the communities in the regions we operate. Bearing in mind that throughout a linear enterprise, different social and institutional groups are present, with different causes and interests, we felt it necessary to implement mechanisms that facilitate the conduct of the interaction process between the Company and the various social factors. This is embodied in our social communication process, an open dialogue with the communities, which is understood as a systematic and permanent process of information on topics of different interests associated with the changes arising from the implementation of the project, occurring before and during its installation.

The social communication process aims at establishing actions to minimise the effects of implementing the project for the communities directly or indirectly affected by the project. This is achieved by promoting integration between the community and the Company, through a process based on participation, transparency and information. Finally, it also serves as an important foundation for social and environmental plans and programmes, facilitating the provision of information and disseminating its results.

In the Arcoverde project, located in the state of Pernambuco, besides utilising the above communication channels, face-to-face contacts with all landowners and communities affected by our project were made (including a ~130 km long transmission line, two substations, a greenfield and an extension). From these channels a short number of calls were made to our ombudsman, related to taxes, technical aspects, appreciation, among others, all well addressed. This reinforces our good relationship and transparency with the communities.

*ethnic groups, predominantly made up of rural or urban black population, descendants of former slaves

^to develop actions to prevent and avoid malaria among workers and communities at municipalities where the projects are located

VEGETATION SUPPRESSION

Vegetation suppression is important in the stages of installation and operation of power transmission lines. Given this, we developed programmes and procedures with customised techniques for each situation, type of vegetation and region. The established techniques are focused on the safety of forestry operations, excellence and minimisation of the environmental impacts resulting from the intervention.

23.14 Ha

Area in Arcoverde preserved

In the Arcoverde project, applying such best practices in the vegetation removal activity was relevant in reducing the suppression. Also, in the Permanent Preservation Areas (which refer to the mandatorily protected areas that serve the environmental functions of preserving water resources, the landscape, geological stability, biodiversity and the genetic flow of fauna and flora; protecting the soil; and ensuring the safety of the local population), the installation of towers or vegetation suppression was not carried out. This was in addition to the adoption of non-interventional construction techniques in these areas.

POSITIVE IMPACT IN RELATION TO THE NATIVE VEGETAL SUPPRESSION

FOREST REPLACEMENT

Forest replacement is a key offsetting activity for direct and indirect impacts on flora; both associated with the installation and the operation of projects. We seek to adopt the best procedures and techniques to manage the forest replacement and the maintenance of genetic and ecological resources.

In Arcoverde, the compensation for vegetation removal occurs in two different types of vegetation, Atlantic Forest and Caatinga – two of the most diverse and thus important biomes in the country and in the world. In the Atlantic Forest area, 1,112 native tree seedlings were planted, including 15 species that play important ecological functions for that biome. Planting was carried out in a biological reserve, in partnership with the municipality of Bonito, in the state of Pernambuco. This biological reserve protects the watershed that supplies the municipality. In the Caatinga region, 5,555 native tree seedlings were planted in an area of relevant interest for the conservation of the local biome. For both forest areas, plantations will be maintained for four years or until they are able to develop without maintenance.

In Vineyards, the compensation for vegetation suppression will be in the Atlantic Forest typology. The following offsetting programmes are so far planned: allocating 7.78 ha of Atlantic Forest, recomposing 0.88 ha of Permanent Preservation Areas; recomposing 1.31 ha of Legal Reserve Areas (which refer to the area of the rural property that must be covered by natural vegetation).

Accolades and Achievements