India’s transmission system is under increasing pressure as electrification accelerates, renewable projects scale up and urban demand continues to rise. Traditionally, network capacity enhancement has relied on building new lines or reconstructing existing ones, solutions that require high capital, entail long execution timelines and face persistent right-of-way (RoW) challenges. In this scenario, reconductoring has gained prominence as a practical and economical solution. By retaining existing structures and replacing old conductors with high-capacity alternatives, utilities are unlocking additional transmission capacity without large-scale civil works or prolonged outages. As a result, transmission planners are increasingly placing greater emphasis on network expansion and optimisation through reconductoring.
Transmission utilities are increasingly undertaking reconductoring projects. A case in point is the Lara–Raigarh reconductoring project in Chhattisgarh. Under the regulated tariff mechanism (RTM), Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (Powergrid) is reconductoring its existing 400 kV double-circuit line, connecting the Lara Super Thermal Power Station to Raigarh (Kotra). The 20 km line is being upgraded with twin high-temperature low-sag (HTLS) conductors capable of at least 2,100 MVA per circuit at nominal voltage. Another initiative is Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation Limited’s completion of India’s first reconductoring project by Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation Limited using ACCC® Daman composite-core conductors.
Technical guidelines
The Central Electricity Authority’s (CEA) Transmission Planning Criteria (2023) and its draft paper on reconductoring provide the technical foundation for project implementation. Key planning considerations include verifying that the new conductor’s ampacity meets projected demand, ensuring acceptable sag and tension parameters, maintaining mechanical integrity for long spans (especially across rivers and valleys), and verifying compatibility with existing foundations.
One of the key challenges in reconductoring is the additional load it can impose on terminal equipment, which may require strengthening or replacing breakers, protection relays, bay components and busbars. Reconductoring multi-circuit or multi-voltage lines is particularly challenging when adjacent lines must remain energised, requiring live-line working techniques and additional safeguards.
Regulatory frameworks
Reconductoring is typically treated as a technical upgrade and carried out under RTM, where the licensee of the original line is responsible for execution. However, industry associations have raised concerns about limited transparency in this process and the risk of cost overruns.
The tariff-based competitive bidding (TBCB) route offers an alternative, allowing private firms to bid under the build-own-operate-maintain model. The two approaches vary in terms of execution timelines, ownership structure, coordination and cost dynamics. Under TBCB rules, all transmission assets, including substations and RoW, must be transferred to the Central Transmission Utility or its nominated successor 35 years after the commercial operation date, free of encumbrances. The CEA recommends that reconductoring and associated bay upgrades during an asset’s useful life be carried out by the same transmission service provider, preferably through the RTM route. This approach ensures technical coherence, continuity of documentation and minimal disruptions. For projects already implemented through RTM, carrying out further upgrades or reconductoring under the same mechanism supports consistent cost recovery.
Technology trends
The most commonly deployed conductor technologies in India include HTLS conductors, high-temperature superconductors, advanced aluminium conductor steel-reinforced cables and composite-core variants. These conductors are designed to operate at higher temperatures, deliver lower line losses and improve overall grid efficiency. Urban centres such as Delhi and Mumbai have increasingly adopted such technologies due to limited RoW availability and rising load densities. India’s planning approach has also evolved, with utilities now encouraged to assess conductors on a total cost-of-ownership basis rather than on upfront capital cost alone.
This means accounting for thermal capacity, loss reduction and long-term performance. The emphasis on clean energy integration and round-the-clock renewable supply has only intensified this demand.
Outlook
India’s grid needs are rapidly evolving, with increasing emphasis on efficient asset utilisation, cost control and timely capacity augmentation. Reconductoring fits squarely with this requirement, enhancing corridor capacity while avoiding steel-intensive rebuilds. With rising demand in cities, renewable energy-rich states and industrial regions, reconductoring is set to play a critical role. The momentum will only increase with upcoming requirements under GEC-III, storage-linked renewable projects and the shift towards 24×7 green power procurement. Supported by CEA guidelines, enabling state-level policies and wider adoption of advanced conductor technologies, reconductoring is expected to become a key driver in strengthening India’s transmission backbone over the coming decade.
