Power blackout is now a history in Kerala

 

It seems the days when Kerala depended heavily on the Udumalpet-Palakkad line for electricity is  now a thing of the past. With the state government commissioning the Edamon-Kochi corridor in the Tirunelveli-Madakkathara inter-state power transmission corridor things are moving at a fast pace. The completion of this project is a landmark moment that makes way for giant strides in the domains of power transmission supply and agriculture of the state.  The new power transmission network strengthened the power import capacity of the state by 800 MW and also enables Kerala to bring in power from any part of the country.

With the completion of Edamon- Kochi 400 KV line (148.3 km), Tirunelveli- Kochi-Thrissur- Udumalpettu 400 KV power highway (437 km) becomes a reality.  Palakkad, Kottayam and Kochi see a spike of 2 kV after the line was charged. The new Edamon-Kochi corridor lessens the state's dependency on the Udumalpet-Palakkad line and allays fears of a complete blackout if the line is damaged. The line also plays an important role in resolving issues regarding electricity transmission from neighbouring states.

The Edamon-Kochi corridor 400 kV DC system covers a distance of about 150 km, passing through Kollam (22km), Pathanamthitta (47 km), Kottayam (51 km) and Ernakulam (28) districts. At the time when Edamon-Kochi power transmission line was waiting to be commissioned, the state's share of power from Kudankulam Nuclear Power Station had been routed through Kudankulam-Tirunelveli-Udumalpet-Madakkathara 400kV lines.  The state had suffered additional transmission loss through this route as it is 250 km longer than the Tirunelveli-Edamon-Kochi-Madakkathara stretch.

With the commissioning of the project, Kerala can use the share from Central pool completely with precision. As a result, the line availability is ensured and power distribution shall be uninterrupted during the repair. Further, KSEB can reduce the congestion in the lines of Kerala – Tamil Nadu area. It has prevented the transmission loss greatly, making way for power supply in better voltage. The new electric corridor makes it possible the power supply at a low rate and on a long-time basis. The government can now make the required 400 KV substations (Kottayam, Edamon) for enhancing the transmission capacity. By the completion of Madakkathara-Kozhikode 400 KV line, the availability of electricity in the Malabar region will also go up.