Ranchi: To tackle rising electricity demand and curb outages, the Jharkhand Bijli Vitran Nigam Ltd (JBVNL) has launched a major infrastructure overhaul to strengthen the city’s three main power grids.
Grid Upgrades and Capacity Expansion
The upgrade will cover Hatia, Namkum and Kanke grids, the backbone of Ranchi’s power supply. At present, Hatia and Namkum each operate with four 50 MVA transformers. Under the proposal, two transformers in each grid will be upgraded to 80 MVA, lifting total capacity at both stations from 200 MVA to 260 MVA. The change will also raise the load-bearing threshold from 160 amperes to 210 amperes.
The Kanke grid, which now has three 50 MVA transformers, will get an additional 50 MVA unit. Its total capacity will rise from 150 MVA to 200 MVA, while the load-bearing potential will increase from 115 amperes to 160 amperes.
Officials Cite Surging Demand
JBVNL general manager (technical), Ranchi Supply Area Board, Manmohan Kumar, said power demand this year has surged close to the maximum designated capacity of each grid. He said the state has sufficient power, but limited grid capacity sometimes causes outages due to overloading. Data shows that the load on Hatia and Namkum grids has already crossed 145 amperes, nearing their 160-ampere limit. To ease pressure, officials also plan to link Hatia with the Smart City grid.
Additional Benefits for Key Areas
A dedicated 33 kV line from Namkum to the airport feeder will benefit Airport, Hinoo, Doranda and Kusai areas. The governor’s house, once dependent on a single line, now draws support from three sources after the Kanke-Lok Bhavan and Lok Bhavan-Morabadi substation circuits were added.
