NEW DELHI, Aug 5 (Reuters) – Apraava Energy said on Wednesday it had acquired Ananthpuram Transmission Ltd to develop an interstate transmission project in Andhra Pradesh’s Ananthapur district, marking the company’s first investment in the state as India races to expand grid capacity to absorb new renewable power.
The project was awarded through the Indian government’s tariff-based competitive bidding process and comprises about 250 circuit kilometres of 765 kilovolt (kV) transmission lines and a 4,500 MVA pooling station equipped with a ±300 MVAR static synchronous compensator, the company said in a statement.
Apraava said the line would help integrate roughly 3 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy generated in the Ananthapur region into the wider grid.
The asset will be developed on a Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) basis under a 35-year concession period, with construction to be completed within 36 months of signing the Transmission Service Agreement (TSA). The company said the project was expected to generate significant employment during both construction and operation.
“Apraava is pleased to expand its transmission footprint in Andhra Pradesh,” said Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, managing director of Apraava Energy. “The state’s strong development trajectory, progressive approach to clean energy, and immense renewable energy potential make it an important part of India’s energy transition.”
“A strong and resilient transmission network is fundamental to unlocking this potential and strengthening India’s long-term energy security,” Mishra said, adding that the company looked forward to further investment opportunities in the state.
With the addition of Ananthpuram Transmission, Apraava now has four transmission assets under construction alongside three existing ones, taking its total transmission portfolio to about 2,180 circuit kilometres of lines and roughly 17,000 MVA of substation capacity, the company said.
Apraava Energy, formerly CLP India, is jointly owned by Hong Kong-based CLP Group, one of Asia’s largest investor-owned power businesses, and Canadian institutional investor La Caisse (formerly CDPQ), which holds a 40% stake. The company, which rebranded from CLP India in 2021, operates in 13 Indian states with a portfolio of about 2 GW of wind and solar generation capacity alongside its transmission and smart-metering businesses.
Beyond transmission, Apraava said it continues to develop renewable energy projects and is executing orders for more than 6 million smart meters across several Indian states, as part of a broader push into low-carbon growth sectors.
India has been auctioning transmission projects on a competitive-bidding basis to accelerate grid buildout as the country targets 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030, with new interstate lines seen as critical bottlenecks to connecting solar- and wind-rich states such as Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat to demand centres elsewhere in the country.
Reporting by ESG World News Bureau; Editing by Entrepreneur News Network Desk
