Karandikars & Associates

CEA`s Master Plan for Evacuation of Power from Hydroelectric Plants in the Brahmaputra Basin

13th October 2025

In view of the availability of large hydro potential in the Brahmaputra basin, there was a requirement to have a comprehensive plan on transmission system for evacuation of power from this assessed potential. Therefore, CEA has prepared a transmission system master plan for the evacuation of power from the hydro projects in the Brahmaputra Basin

CEA took up the study namely "Reassessment of Hydroelectric Potential in the Country" and published a report in November 2022. The report mentioned that there was total 69,135.7 MW of Hydro Potential (including projects < 25 MW) available in the Brahmaputra Basin comprising of 224 Nos. of projects above 25 MW with cumulative installed capacity of 68,734.2 MW.

The Brahmaputra basin is divided into 12 Nos. of sub-basins out of which Dibang, Siang, Lohit, Subansiri, Kameng, Teesta and Barak are considered as major sub-basins

After due consultation with States and Project developers it had emerged that the hydro-electric potential of some of the projects got modified and some are non-exploitable. The state-wise list of exploitable hydro potential (IC>25 MW) is as given below:

The figure of 64,945.2 MW includes 4,807 MW existing and 2,000 MW under construction capacity

The sub-basin wise exploitable hydroelectric potential (>25 MW) (excluding PSPs) is as per figures below.

In addition to the above, following Pumped Storage Plants (PSPs) in the Brahmaputra basin have been considered:

In view of the availability of large hydro potential in the Brahmaputra basin, there was a requirement to have a comprehensive plan on transmission system for evacuation of power from this assessed potential. Therefore, CEA has prepared a transmission system master plan for the evacuation of power from the hydro projects in the Brahmaputra Basin

Keeping in view the implementation time frame of hydroelectric plants in the Brahmaputra Basin, the phasing of transmission system has been done in two time frames i.e. upto 2035 and beyond 2035. Accordingly, system studies were carried out in the time-frame of 2035 and beyond 2035 for the potential as given below:

The plan envisages the addition of 31,397 ckm transmission lines (including 21,000 ckm HVDC corridor) and 109,935 MVA+MW capacity (including 42,000 MW HVDC)

Upto the year 2035, addition of 9,922 ckm transmission lines (including 6,000 ckm HVDC corridor) and 41,760 MVA capacity (including 12,000 MW HVDC) with an estimated cost of Rs. 1,91,009 crore is required and beyond 2035, addition of 21,475 ckm transmission lines (including 15,000 ckm HVDC corridor) and 68,175 MVA capacity (including 30,000 MW HVDC) with an estimated cost of Rs. 4,51,935 crore will be required

Thus the total estimated cost is Rs. 6,42,944 cr.

In this Master Plan, transmission system has been mentioned as Dedicated Transmission System and Common Transmission System. The dedicated system indicates the Dedicated Transmission Line (DTL) in the scope of Hydro Project Developers. The common transmission system indicates the Pooling sub-station / sub-station and transmission lines planned under ISTS to evacuate the power of HEPs in the Brahmaputra Basin. Further, Intra-state transmission system has also been indicated in this master plan