Green transformers: Future of T&D sector

Nagarjuna Babu Nannapaneni, Executive Director, Kotsons Private Limited

“Environment protection and safety is need of the hour.”

Power is one of the core elements of infrastructure and crucial for the economic growth, believes Nagarjuna Babu Nannapaneni, Executive Director, Kotsons Private Limited.

Stabilised political scenario to drive demand
Since the 1990’s reforms in economic policies, the nation is on the path to growth in all segments, such as industrial, agriculture, telecom, etc. This has lead to high demand for electric power across the nation and expected to rise in the years to come. In order to meet the increasing demand for electric power, more power generation plants, transmission lines, and distribution networks shall be planned accordingly. Sustained economic growth and stabilised political scenario will transform India into a developed nation and this will continue to drive electricity demand and consumption.

Economic liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation policies transformed India into a global player in IT sector and now the present government support to the industry is boosting to make smart grid with help of Digital India concept. Another major transformation is, adopting new technologies and rising to higher voltage transmission systems.

Electricity is essential
Yes, electrification of railways lines, rural areas, and promoting battery operated electric vehicles will certainly increase the demand for electricity in all regions and sectors and this will drive India’s growth. For example, the power behind the industrial revolution during 1700’s is steam engine. The invention of steam engine was crucial to the industrialisation of modern civilisation. Later, diesel engine replaced steam engine and now electrification of railway lines will replace diesel engines. Similarly, the change from mechanical punching cards to swiping cards (digitalisation), everywhere, electricity is essential in our daily life.
Now, India is paving the way for an electric future by gearing up the electric vehicle industry and is racing to catch-up the market.

KUSUM – A game changer
DDUGJY is one the scheme out of the several initiatives announced by the government. Many states utilised this scheme and installed lot of transformers to make ‘Power to All’ into reality.

Sometime back, industries faced power holidays due to shortage of electric power in many states. Rural areas were worst hit by huge power cuts where they would get power only during nights. The energy deficit in power sector showed significant improvement by adding more power generation plants by both public and private sector.

Recently, government announced KUSUM scheme, with an aim to promote the use of solar power among farmers. Under this scheme, the farmers would be provided with solar water pumps. This scheme will be a game-changer in power sector, as this will make farmers to be independent of grid supply and also enables them to sell surplus solar power to DISCOM/NIGAM and get extra income.

On the other hand, farmer’s dependency on DISCOM/NIGAM would be reduced drastically. Thus, the electric power saved can be transferred to industries for running the plants 24 hours.

Efficient and reliable delivery of electricity
Grid efficiency is very important to avoid power blackouts. Many northern and eastern sates were affected in India during two severe power blackouts in July 2012. Overdrawing of power will cause a slight escalation of grid frequency range.

By and large, power grid safe operation is simply ramping power plants up and down to generate power just to meet the load requirements, almost every day. Smart grid with smart transformers is the best solution to improve grid efficiency.

Smart grid technology includes digital power management and information hardware and software, smart transformers, efficient transmission lines for less power loss, monitoring its operation and helping schedule processes in order to limit the demand on the power grid and ensure the availability of good quality power all the times.

Green transformer
Green transformers are the future of business in T&D sector. Basically, these transformers are eco-friendly (ester fluid in place of mineral oil), energy efficient (low losses) and economical (low ageing-more operating life).

Environment protection and safety is the need of hour. Green transformers are filled with eco friendly easter fluid for preserving environment as this is readily biodegradable and fire safety due to its high fire point and low net calorific value.

Global competitiveness of transformers
• Improve funds availability and long term buyers’ credit.
• Core lamination (CRGO silicon steel / Amorphous Alloy ribbon) manufacturing facilities shall be developed
• Allowing duty-free import of aluminium /copper conductor materials.
• Discom/Nigams’s support to the manufacturers by proper maintenance of transformers, preventing overloading beyond limits, eliminating power theft and preferring quality product instead of L1.
• Government should provide subsidiary on importing of machinery and equipments for development of new technology in India to SSI Units.
• Setting up new testing facilities for conducting tests on transformers as per BIS / BEE guidelines.
• EXIM policy shall be supportive and equally balanced for exports and imports to make India the country of choice for production of electrical equipment.

Trends in the transformer industry
• Grid modernisation, smart grids, new rapid transit metro trains and electric vehicle (EV) charging stations are expected to raise demand for smart and solid-state transformers.
• Transformer operation and monitoring systems for maintaining uninterrupted power flow.
• Smart Transformers for two-way power flow in smart grid.
• Maintenance free hermetically sealed transformers and dry type transformers.
• Eco-friendly green transformers.
• Completely self protected (CSP) transformers for remote locations.
• 3D (triangular) wound core transformers for low foot print in metro cities.