CEA asks discoms to curb outages amid record power demand outlook
New Delhi: Amid projections of record power demand, the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has asked distribution companies (discoms) to set up emergency response teams and
New Delhi: Amid projections of record power demand, the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has asked distribution companies (discoms) to set up emergency response teams and draw up summer action plans to tackle blackouts and prevent load-shedding during peak demand periods. In an advisory, the CEA said that during the peak power demand season, instances of load-shedding—suspending electricity supply in certain areas when demand exceeds availability—are being reported in several parts of the country. "Based on experience across states, a significant portion of summer load shedding is not caused by generation shortage but due to distribution network constraints, transformer failures, overloaded feeders, inadequate preventive maintenance, delayed augmentation and poor visibility of emerging load growth pockets," it said. Also Read | Govt plans star-ratings for batteries in solar projects and energy storages To be sure, there is enough power availability in the grid, but consumers continue to suffer outages due to constraints in the distribution network.
"Despite the overall adequacy of generation resources and availability of power in the grid, several states continue to experience consumer outages and load shedding during the summer months. Field experience and operational feedback indicate that a significant proportion of such interruptions arise from constraints within the distribution network," Ghanshyam Prasad, chairperson, CEA, wrote in the advisory issued to discoms. Driven by constraints Load-shedding and outages are being driven by constraints such as overloading of distribution transformers and feeders, inadequate transformation capacity at sub-stations, delayed system augmentation, failure of ageing equipment, local network bottlenecks, and insufficient preventive maintenance, Prasad said. The peak power demand hit a record high of 270.8GW in May. The CEA has projected a peak demand of 272GW this year. Also Read | Solar module recycling policy in the works to curb harmful impact of waste The CEA suggested that every discom should complete a 'Summer Preparedness Review' by February every year, which should cover network capacity assessment, identification of distribution transformers loaded above 80%, feeders loaded above 80%, power transformers loaded above 75% and areas experiencing low voltage.
All annual preventive maintenance of 33 kV (kilovolt) sub-stations, 11 kV feeders and distribution transformers should be completed before the onset of summer, the CEA said. Power distribution companies must not defer critical maintenance during the season except under exceptional circumstances, it added. Emergency response The CEA also directed that dedicated emergency response teams be constituted to restore the power supply as soon as possible within the applicable norms and regulations. "These teams may be positioned at strategic locations, equipped with adequately trained manpower, vehicles, tools, testing equipment and requisite safety equipment including PPE, fall-arrest system, etc. along with an adequate inventory of critical spares," it said. Further, the CEA has asked discoms to establish outage management systems to ensure faster fault localization and reduced restoration time.
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