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| Ministry mulls 'smart' steps for automation in power sector |
| Katya B Naidu / Mumbai May 13, 2010, 00:15 IST |
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After using information technology (IT) solutions to reduce transmission and distribution losses of power distribution companies, the Ministry of Power is looking at the next step — automation in the sector.
Sources in the industry say that top officials from the ministry have already held discussions with leading IT companies in the country for applying high-level information, communication and technology (ICT) in modernising the power sector.
The automation is directed towards creating a ‘smart grid’, a technology popular in the West. Among others, the power ministry is looking at a system where the transmission lines can be controlled from a distance. “The ministry is looking to come up with a system where one can look at switching off the power of an area without a lineman being physically present there,” says a source close to the development.
These modernisations are not result-oriented like the systems integration network, which was done in the revised Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme (APDRP).
The country is also looking at higher electricity generation from the renewable energy sectors like solar, wind and hydro. However, the sources do not generate electricity in a continuous manner like coal-based or gas-based power generation. Blending electricity generated from renewable sources with the main source of power from coal-based power plants in the grid is a cumbersome process. The ministry seeks high-end technology to solve these issues.
“Electricity flow from renewable energy is patchy and flows in intervals and not continuous like the main sources from coal, gas etc. A smart grid uses information technology to help a group, say some villagers, to draw power from the solar grid when the supply is on, and then switch to the main power grid later in the day as solar generation stops. It would reduce dependence on the main power source,” says another source close to the development.
The power ministry is also in talks to deploy smart meters to enhance the working of a smart grid. Smart meters record the consumption of an entity in much greater detail than an ordinary analog meter.
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