North Andhra’s first Gas Insulated Substation to come up at Atchutapuram in Anakapalli district

Work on the 400kV unit to be set up at a cost of ₹500 crore is likely to commence in May; the State’s first such facility coming up in Guntur to be commissioned by April

The first Gas Insulated Substation (GIS) of North Coastal Andhra Pradesh and second in the State will be established at Atchutapuram in Anakapalli district.

The State government has already given 18.5 acres of land for the project to be built at a cost of ₹500 crore. It will be completed by 2025.

At present, there are only two 400kV substations in the region, but they are air operated, and are called Air Insulated Substation (AIS).

The GIS is more sophisticated than the AIS. While AIS requires about 50-60 acres of land, the GIS requires less than 20 acres. In terms of cost, GIS is 20% to 25% more than the cost of AIS.

Presently, the AIS at Kalpaka, near NTPC Simhadri, is meeting the energy demand of industries in Atchutapuram. The another one at Maradam in Vizianagaram district is catering to the needs of the industries in Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts.

The main requirement of the GIS at Atchutapuram is to meet the future demand of the industries as the State government is projecting the coastal area as an industrial hub in Andhra Pradesh. More than 100 medium to major industries are already running there.

The GIS will also be showcased at the upcoming Global Investors’ Summit to be held in Visakhapatnam on March 3 and 4, to demonstrate how the State is ready to support industries in all aspects, including energy supply.