Khavda Renewable Mega-Park Energizes 765/400 kV Pooling Substations with 4,500 MVA Transformer Capacity

Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID) and Adani Energy Solutions Limited (AESL) have energized major 765/400 kV pooling substations (Khavda PS-...

Khavda Renewable Mega-Park Energizes 765/400 kV Pooling Substations with 4,500 MVA Transformer Capacity

Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID) and Adani Energy Solutions Limited (AESL) have energized major 765/400 kV pooling substations (Khavda PS-2 and PS-3) in the Rann of Kutch, Gujarat, commissioning 4,500 MVA of extra-high-voltage transformation capacity and 300 Mvar STATCOMs to evacuate 9.4 GW of operational clean energy from the world’s largest hybrid renewable power park.

Transforming Power at the World’s Largest 30 GW Energy Hub

Spanning over 72,000 hectares of saline desert terrain in Gujarat’s Kutch district, the Khavda Renewable Energy Park is engineered to reach 30 GW of wind and solar capacity by 2029. With operational generation surpassing 9.4 GW in late 2026, the Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) network required massive local pooling infrastructure.

The newly energized Khavda PS-2 and PS-3 substations form the primary collection points, transforming 400 kV collector bus voltages directly up to 765 kV for bulk power wheeling across interstate double-circuit lines linking Khavda to Lakadia, Bhuj, and central Indian industrial corridors.

Heavy-Duty 765/400 kV 1,500 MVA Interconnecting Transformers (ICTs)

Each pooling substation incorporates banks of single-phase 500 MVA autotransformers (forming 1,500 MVA three-phase banks) manufactured with high-grade, laser-scribed Grain-Oriented Electrical Steel (GOES) cores and specialized seismic vibration dampers capable of withstanding severe earthquake faults common to the active Kutch seismic belt.

To counteract extreme desert heat exceeding 50°C and saline dust contamination from the nearby Arabian Sea, the transformers feature hermetically sealed forced-oil directed-air (ODAF) radiators and composite silicone polymer bushings with extended creepage distances (>31 mm/kV).

Dynamic Stability Through 300 Mvar STATCOM and Grid-Forming Controls

Because the enormous concentration of inverter-based resources (IBRs) creates low short-circuit ratios (SCR), the substations are equipped with 300 Mvar Static Synchronous Compensators (STATCOM) and switched capacitor banks providing sub-cycle reactive power compensation.

This landmark energization guarantees reliable, loss-optimized transmission of green electrons across thousands of kilometers into national grids, anchoring India’s 2030 clean energy trajectory.