AP prepares 15 GW power transmission plan to meet Vizag’s data centre’s demand

Vijayawada: State govt is gearing up to become a major digital infrastructure destination with a comprehensive power transmission plan aimed at supporting nearly 15 GW of data centre demand in and around Visakhapatnam over the next decade.Special chief secretary (energy) K Vijayanand said the state govt has prepared a future-ready transmission roadmap to meet the growing requirements of hyperscale data centres, artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, cloud computing facilities and other next-generation digital services. Vijayanand reviewed the preparedness through a video conference with senior officials from AP Transco, IT department and APIIC.Vijayanand said global technology companies and infrastructure developers are showing increasing interest in establishing large-scale digital infrastructure projects in Andhra Pradesh. He said data centres will become the backbone of the future digital economy, just as ports, highways and airports supported industrial growth in the past. “AP is preparing today for tomorrow’s opportunities by creating world-class power infrastructure. The focus is not only on meeting future demand but also on ensuring planned growth through proactive infrastructure development,” he said.He said Visakhapatnam has emerged as a preferred location for digital infrastructure investments, with proposals from major companies including Google, Reliance, Tata Consultancy Services (HyperVault), CtrlS and GMR. The city is fast developing into one of the prominent digital infrastructure clusters in the country.According to APTRANSCO estimates, 16 major data centre projects are currently at different stages of development in the region. These projects are expected to require around 9.1 GW of IT power load. Considering additional infrastructure requirements and global operational standards, the total power demand is projected to reach nearly 15 GW by the financial year 2036-37. To meet this demand, AP Transco has prepared a phased transmission strategy involving a high-capacity network of 765 kV, 400 kV and 220 kV lines.The network will connect key substations at Pendurthi, Maradam, Achyutapuram, Palasa, Padmanabham and Makavaripalem and is designed to support future expansion. A key focus area is the Rambilli Data Centre Cluster, where a new 400/220 kV substation along with dedicated transmission infrastructure and corridors will be developed.Similar facilities will be created for emerging data centre hubs at Tarluvada, Mudasarlova, Polepalli and Chinnipalem. Vijayanand said the state govt is following an “Infrastructure First” approach by strengthening transmission capacity ahead of actual demand. This strategy will help provide investors with reliability, confidence and long-term operational stability. He said reliable power supply is the lifeline of the digital economy and Andhra Pradesh is building a scalable transmission network to position itself among Asia’s leading digital infrastructure destinations.The meeting was attended by IT secretary Katamneni Bhaskar, AP Transco joint managing director Surya Sai Praveen Chand, APEPDCL CMD Prithvi Tej Immadi, APIIC vice chairman and MD Dinesh Kumar, APEDB CEO Shanmohan and other officials.