The government has approved Rs. 996-crore investment proposal for capital projects of Bengaluru-based Central Power Research Institute (CPRI). The funds will be utilised to serve the growing needs of R&D in the Indian power sector including development of advanced testing facilities.
This will support augmentation of high power short circuit facilities as well as establishment of new test facilities in existing laboratories of CPRI, located at Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Guwahati, Noida and Nagpur. In addition, a new laboratory will also be established in Western Region at Nasik, a statement issued by the Ministry of Power said. CPRI, with its headquarters at Bengaluru, is an autonomous society under the aegis of the Ministry of Power. It was set up to serve as a national level laboratory for undertaking applied research in electrical power engineering, besides functioning as an independent test and certification authority for electrical equipment and components for ensuring reliability in the power system.
The main facilities proposed to be set up or augmented under the approved projects, include short circuit test facilities, transmission tower test facility, facilities for switchgear testing and development, relocation and augmentation of thermal research centre at Nagpur, establishment of new unit at Nasik, and establishment of Phasor measurement unit system and smart grid research laboratory.
On commissioning of the above facilities, CPRI shall be able to test transformers and other switchgears of higher rating equipment used for 400 KV and above. The smart grid research laboratory will provide necessary support for developing smart grid devices needed for Indian smart grid mission and smart city projects. The Phasor measurement unit system will support the efforts towards grid security.
