Powegrid Corp on Friday started the commercial operation of its 800 kilovolt (kV) HVDC Champa-Kurukshetra Pole I project, the state-run electricity transmission company announced here.

"This project will enable transfer of power from Independent Power Producers (IPPs) generation projects coming up in Raigarh generation complex in Chhattisgarh to demand centres of Northern region such as Harayna, Punjab, UP, Rajasthan and adjoining areas," a Powergrid statement said.

The line is part of 800 kV, 3,000 megawatt (MW) western-northern region HVDC interconnector transmission system for independent power projects in Chhattisgarh.

According to the company, the 2,576 circuit km Champa-Kurukshetra line has been set up at a cost of Rs 6,300 crore.

The second pole of the project, of 1,500 MW capacity, is expected to be commissioned in the coming June, said Powergrid Chairman I.S. Jha.

It will cost another Rs 2,000 crore, which will enable the flow of the entire 3,000 MW, he said.

The chairman also said the project would be expanded to enable the flow of another 3,000 MW capacity, and this is expected to be commissioned by 2018.

According to Jha, so far, six independent producers have tied up their generated power with Power Grid's pole. These companies are Dhariwal Power, KSK Mahanadi, Moserbaer, TRN Energy, DB Power and Maruti Clean Coal Power Ltd.