Smart Electricity Transmission System [UPSC Current Affairs]

The government has accepted, in March 2023, the recommendation of an expert panel on smart and modern electricity transmission systems in India. This is an important topic for the UPSC exam General Studies Paper 3.

Smart Electricity Transmission System

According to a statement released by the Power Ministry, GOI, India will soon have a smart transmission system incorporating features that can improve efficiency, disaster preparedness, etc.

Significance of smart and modern electricity transmission systems in India:

• Reduction in forced outages through self-correcting systems.
• Centralised and data-driven decision-making.
• Enhanced utilisation of transmission capacity.
• Better situational assessment.
• Automated operation of the grid and real-time monitoring. 
• Greater resilience against natural disasters and cyber-attacks.
• Capacity to have an increased share of renewables in the power mix.

About the Expert Panel:

• In 2021 an expert panel was set up by the Ministry of Power to recommend steps for the modernisation of the transmission sector and making it future-ready and smart.
• The other members of the panel were representatives of:
  • MeiTY (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology), 
  • Central and state transmission utilities, 
  • Central Electricity Authority (CEA),  
  • IIT Kanpur, etc.
• The long-term recommendations will be implemented across 3-5 years and short-term to medium-term across 1-3 years.

Major recommendations of the panel:

• The panel recommended benchmarks for voltage control based on the performance of global transmission utilities and transmission network availability.
• The use of robots is expected to not only minimise human intervention and life risks/hazards but also save time while ensuring accuracy during construction and maintenance.
• The panel has recommended centralised remote monitoring, drones & robots, cyber security, process bus-based protection automation and control GIS/Hybrid substation, predictive maintenance technique using AI/ML algorithms, Hybrid AC/HVDC system,  Dynamic Line Loading system (DLL), flexible AC transmission devices (FACTs), etc.
• These recommendations have been categorized into:
• • Up-skilling of workforce/construction/inspection of transmission assets.
  • Smart and future-ready transmission system.
  • Operations and management.
  • Use of advanced technology in construction and supervision.
  • Modernization of existing transmission systems.
• The panel in its report has recommended technological and digital solutions, which can be adopted to make the electricity transmission grids future ready.

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