Powering India for the Future

Along with increasing generation by setting up new capacities, power producers need to invest in modernising their power plants.
Dominik Hofmann, VP  – Power and Gas Division, Siemens Ltd
  Power Ministry is taking a lot of initiatives to transform the power sector in India in the right direction leading to highest ever conventional power capacity of 46,543MW has been added during 2014-16; the highest ever growth in coal production of 7.4 crore tonne by Coal India in 2014-16; the lowest ever energy deficit of 2.1 per cent in 2015-16 as compared to 11.1 per cent in 2008-09; revival of 11,717MW gas based plants with supply of Re-gasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG) through transparent auctions.
Government has launched Ujwal Assurance Discoms Yojana (UDAY) scheme for revival of distribution companies and ten states have joined it. It has promised to electrify all villages by 2019 and provide 24/7 power supply for which it has signed specific action plans with 21 states. “India’s power sector is geared up for substantial growth led by the manufacturing sector with the domestic players being the main drivers in achieving the growth,” comments Dominik Hofmann, Vice President – Power and Gas Division, Siemens Ltd. Government initiatives can be game changerElectrification remains one of the most critical components of developing India considering following initiatives such as smart cities, ‘Power for All’ and ‘Make in India’ will be implemented and therefore creates a huge demand. Smart cities will not only require energy but most of all efficient and environmental friendly solutions for a better living. This includes also smaller co-gen solutions providing power and cooling.The government has planned to provide affordable 24/7 Power for All homes, industrial and commercial establishments and adequate power for farms by 2018, which will also increase the demand. Prime Minister is looking towards increasing the share of manufacturing from 15 to 25 per cent of GDP translating into a CAPEX opportunity of $ 1 trillion through its flagship initiative Make in India which will support the industrial power demand.
“The next 5 years will be decisive in determining what type of energy mix and infrastructure India uses to achieve national electrification. The power sector in India has shown signs of recovery. In the last 5 years we have seen domestic manufacturers invest heavily in technology for creating, manufacturing and enhancing manufacturing facilities. Also a lot of emphasis has been given to skill development and manpower to meet the growing demand,” informs Hofmann.
Contributing latest technologySiemens Power and Gas Division offers a broad spectrum of products and solutions for reliable, highly efficient and clean power for generation of electricity from fossil fuels and highly reliable solutions using latest technology for oil and gas applications.
“Along with increasing generation by setting up new capacities, power producers need to invest in modernising their power plants, and Siemens is at the forefront globally in providing the most efficient solutions for sustainable power generation,” claims Hofmann.Siemens Power and Gas has delivered the latest technology for clean coal-fired power plants in India to migrate from sub- to super-critical power plant design that, together with Indian coal auctioning, facilitates clean and affordable power to industry and citizens. This higher output efficiency technology could also be utilised to modernise some of the older plants, utilising the existing infrastructure and approvals. “Our turbine factory in Vadodara is a very good example of successful technology supporting ‘Make in India’, as it is best-in-class in the Indian small steam turbine market and may act as enabling root in the context of smart cities initiative for power from municipal solid waste,” briefs Hofmann while commenting upon company’s contribution for this transformation.
MilestonesSharing about the company’s milestones Hofmann said, “We are living in a world where manufacturers have to innovate keeping the energy norms and regulation in mind but most importantly they also have to utilise highly efficient and environment friendly technologies.” The company’s steam turbine factory in Vadodara, Gujarat manufactures steam turbine generators with a modular, compact design that minimises space requirements for installation.
Easy access to mechanical components facilitates maintenance. It delivers high reliability, availability and efficiency. Its application in conservation of environment was proven as a component for a state-of-the-art power plant set up by steel manufacturer in India. The plant is designed to utilise blast furnace gas, thus avoiding usage of coal. This allowed it to comply with all the latest pollution control norms, thus ensuring a cleaner environment.
“Another important milestone and initiative is the Swacch Bharat Mission which emphasises a very scientific approach seen globally in many parts is the ‘Waste to Energy’ concept,” he adds. Gas based power plants at specific locations “Large renewable capacity addition would throw challenges for grid stability. Therefore, government should consider gas based peaking power plants at specific locations for grid support with assured gas supply,” demands Hofmann while speaking on the business opportunities. “Further, keeping in mind the recent environmental norms announced for thermal power plants, carbon footprint due to large coal utilisation in the country needs to be balanced by enhanced natural gas usage,” adds Hofmann.
Siemens latest digitalisation solutions can play a highly critical role for every plant. For example, smart evaluation of data from a gas turbine can determine when turbines need to be serviced, so customers benefit from less downtime in addition to other long-term benefits like plant optimization, remote support, remote operation, data-driven upgrades of turbines and fleet statistics.