The history of Electricity in Belagavi takes us back to the year 1933, when Amalgamated Electricity Company Ltd was incorporated at Mumbai was formed to generate and distribute electricity in the Municipal areas of Ajmer, Belgaum(now Belagavi), Malegaon and other adjoining areas. The company started its Generation and distribution of electricity in the year 1933 under the license of Shri D.B. Ankale with only two Generators at its Generating station opposite to the Belagavi Railway Station, the present HESCOM office premises. The number of generators were increased from 2 to 9 with a total capacity of 3000 KVA in 1966. The electricity was distributed in the area covering city, Camp, Tilakwadi and Vadagoan.
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In the year 1966 (05/03/1966) the 110KV Nehrunagar Station was commissioned which was fed from 220KV SRS Hubli through 110KV Single Circuit Line. With an Installed capacity of 20MVA. Consequent to the commissioning of 110KV Nehrunagar Station the generators were dismantled and the electricity supplied from 110KV Nehrunagar Station was distributed to the consumers. In the year 1969 the 220KV Receiving station Belgaum was commissioned as switching station with main objective to extend bulk power supply to M/s.Indal,220KV EHT Consumer.
Meanwhile, on 18.12.1974, pursuant to the Karnataka Electricity Undertaking (Acquisition) Act, 1974, the Amalgamated Electricity Company Ltd., was taken over by the Karnataka Electricity Board (formed in 1957) whereby all the assets and liabilities of the Amalgamated Electricity Company Ltd. vested with the Karnataka Electricity Board.
During 1979 220KV Belgaum-Kolhapur inter-state line was constructed from 220KV Belgaum station. Subsequently from 1982 to 1984, 2 Nos of 50MVA 220KV/110KV Power Transformers are installed and 3 Nos of 110KV feeder bays were constructed to feed power supply to 110KV Belgaum city,110KV Ghataprabha & 110KV Hukkeri. During 1992 the station Transformer capacity was augmented by providing an additional 100MVA Power Transformer. Again, during 1998 station capacity was increased by replacing 50MVA Power Transformer No-2 by new 100MVA Power Transformer increasing the station capacity to 250 MVA. KPTCL was formed on 1-8-1999 by carving out the Transmission and Distribution functions of the erstwhile Karnataka Electricity Board.
In the year 2001 TATA power started its 80MW Diesel Generating plant near Kanabargi feeding to 220KV Station Belgaum through 110KV Double Circuit.
Government vide order No. 69 BSR 2001 Bangalore, dated 15/02/2002 has unbundled KPTCL and formed four distribution companies. Consequent to this the function of distribution of power has been totally separated from KPTCL. KPTCL is now vested with the responsibility of transmitting power all over the State and construction and maintenance of Stations and lines of 66KV and above.
The four newly formed independent distribution companies, which were registered on 30/04/2002, are Bangalore Electricity Supply Company, Mangalore Electricity Supply Company, Hubli Electricity Supply Company and Gulbarga Electricity Supply Company. They have started functioning w.e.f.. 01/06/2002. The Hubli Electricity Supply Company company was incharge of the distribution of power in Belgaum.
In the year 2003, the 50MVA Power transformer failed which reduced the capacity of the 220KV Belgaum Station to 200MVA .
During 2005 4 Nos of 110KV line bays constructed to reduce overloading of 110KV Ghataprabha, Nehru-nagar lines & for proper evacuation 80MW TATA Power generation. During the year 1998 total 110KV feeder peak load on 220KV Station was about 162MW and Consequent to the commissioning of New 220KV Station at Chikodi(1998) 55MW load of Chikodi and Hukkeri shifted on 220KV Station Chikodi and with the gradual growth of load, the load on 220KV Station Belgaum again reached 160MW during the year 2010. In the year 2010 220KV Ghataprabha Station commissioned and around 45MW of load shifted on New 220Kv Ghataprabha Station load on Belgaum 220KV Station got reduced to a peak demand of 120MW. As per the records, there is a considerable increase in load growth of 10MW to 12MW per year. Till the end of Aug-2015, it has reached around 150MW.
With inputs from KPTCL smart city proposal.
