ELECTRICAL POWER SECTOR IN INDIA

The utility electricity sectorin India has one National Grid with an
installed capacity of 330.86 GW as on 31 December 2017.[Renewable
power plants constituted 31.7% of total installed capacity. During
the fiscal year 2016-17, the gross electricity generated by utilities
in India was 1,236.39 Twh and the total electricity generation
(utilities and non utilities) in the country was 1,433.4 Twh. The
gross electricity consumption was 1,122 kWh per capita in the
year 2016-17. India is the world's third largest producer and fourth
largest consumerof electricity. Electric energy consumption in agriculture
was recorded highest (17.89%) in 2015-16 among all countries.
The per capita electricity consumption is low compared to many countries
despite cheaper electricity tariff in India.
India has surplus power generation capacity but lacks adequate
infrastructure for supplying electricity to all needy people. In
order to address the lack of adequate electricity supply to all the
people in the country by March 2019, the Government of
India launched a scheme called "Power for All".This scheme will
ensure continuous and uninterrupted electricity supply to all
households, industries and commercial establishments by
creating and improving necessary infrastructure. Its a joint
collaboration of the Government of India with states to share funding and
create overall economic growth.
India's electricity sector is dominated by fossil fuels, and in
particular coal, which in 2016 produced about two thirds of all
electricity. However, the government is pushing for an increased
investment in renewable energy. The Draft National Electricity
Plan of 2016 prepared by the Government of India states that the
country does not need additional non-renewable power plants in
the utility sector until 2027, with the commissioning of 50,025
MW coal-based power plants under construction and achieving
275,000 MW total installed renewable power capacity.
Electric power transmission

Electric power transmission is the bulk movement of electrical

energy from a generating site, such as a power plant, to an
electrical substation. The interconnected lines which facilitate this
movement are known as a transmission network. This is distinct
from the local wiring between high-voltage substations and
customers, which is typically referred to as electric power
distribution. The combined transmission and distribution network
is known as the "power grid" in North America, or just "the grid".
In the United Kingdom, India, Malaysia and New Zealand, the
network is known as the "National Grid".
A wide area synchronous grid, also known as an "interconnection"
in North America, directly connects a large number of generators
delivering AC power with the same relative frequency to a large
number of consumers. For example, there are four major
interconnections in North America (the Western Interconnection,
the Eastern Interconnection, the Quebec Interconnection and the Electric
Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) grid). In Europe one large grid
connects most of continental Europe.
Historically, transmission and distribution lines were owned by
the same company, but starting in the 1990s, many countries
have liberalized the regulation of the electricity market in ways that have
led to the separation of the electricity transmission business from
the distribution business.

Overhead transmission
High-voltage overhead conductors are not covered by insulation.
The conductor material is nearly always an aluminum alloy, made
into several strands and possibly reinforced with steel strands.
Copper was sometimes used for overhead transmission, but
aluminum is lighter, yields only marginally reduced performance
and costs much less. Overhead conductors are a commodity
supplied by several companies worldwide. Improved conductor
material and shapes are regularly used to allow increased
capacity and modernize transmission circuits. Conductor sizes
range from 12 mm2(American wire gauge) to 750
mm2(1,590,000 circular mils area), with varying resistance and
current-carrying capacity. Thicker wires would lead to a relatively
small increase in capacity due to the skin effect (which causes most
of the current to flow close to the surface of the wire). Because of
this current limitation, multiple parallel cables (called bundle
conductors) are used when higher capacity is needed. Bundle
conductors are also used at high voltages to reduce energy loss
caused by corona discharge.
Today, transmission-level voltages are usually considered to be
110kV and above. Lower voltages, such as 66 kV and 33 kV, are
usually considered subtransmission voltages, but are occasionally used
on long lines with light loads. Voltages less than 33 kV are usually
used for distribution. Voltages above 765 kV are considered extra
high voltage and require different designs compared to equipment
used at lower voltages.
Since overhead transmission wires depend on air for insulation,
the design of these lines requires minimum clearances to be
observed to maintain safety. Adverse weather conditions, such as
high wind and low temperatures, can lead to power outages.
Wind speeds as low as 23 knots (43 km/h) can permit conductors
to encroach operating clearances, resulting in a flashover and loss of
supply. Oscillatory motion of the physical line can be termed gallop
or flutter depending on the frequency and amplitude of oscillation.

Underground transmission
Electric power can also be transmitted by underground power
cables instead of overhead power lines. Underground cables take
up less right-of-way than overhead lines, have lower visibility, and
are less affected by bad weather. However, costs of insulated
cable and excavation are much higher than overhead
construction. Faults in buried transmission lines take longer to
locate and repair. Underground lines are strictly limited by their
thermal capacity, which permits less overload or re-rating than
overhead lines. Long underground AC cables have significant
capacitance, which may reduce their ability to provide useful
power to loads beyond 50 miles (80 kilometres). DC cables are
not limited in length by their capacitance.

DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

Primary distribution
Primary distribution voltages range from 4 kV to 35 kV phase-to-
phase (2.4 kV to 20 kV phase-to-neutral)[Only large consumers
are fed directly from distribution voltages; most utility customers
are connected to a transformer, which reduces the distribution
voltage to the low voltage "utilization voltage", "supply voltage"
or "mains voltage" used by lighting and interior wiring systems.

Secondary distribution
Electricity is delivered at a frequency of either 50 or 60 Hz,
depending on the region. It is delivered to domestic customers as
single-phase electric power. In some countries as in Europe a three
phase supply may be made available for larger properties. Seen in
an oscilloscope, the domestic power supply in North America
would look like a sine wave, oscillating between −170 volts and
170 volts, giving an effective voltage of 120 volts. Three-phase
power is more efficient in terms of power delivered per cable
used, and is more suited to running large electric motors. Some
large European appliances may be powered by three-phase power,
such as electric stoves and clothes dryers.
A ground connection is normally provided for the customer's system
as well as for the equipment owned by the utility. The purpose of
connecting the customer's system to ground is to limit the
voltage that may develop if high voltage conductors fall down
onto lower-voltage conductors which are usually mounted lower
to the ground, or if a failure occurs within a distribution
transformer. Earthing systems can be TT, TN-S, TN-C-S or TN-C

Power-system protection

Protection systems usually comprise five components:

•Current and voltage transformers to step down the high voltages and
currents of the electrical power system to convenient levels for
the relays to deal with
•Protective relays to sense the fault and initiate a trip, or disconnection,
order;
•Circuit breakers to open/close the system based on relay and
autorecloser commands;
•Batteries to provide power in case of power disconnection in the
system.
•Communication channels to allow analysis of current and voltage
at remote terminals of a line and to allow remote tripping of
equipment.
For parts of a distribution system, fuses are capable of both sensing
and disconnecting faults.
Failures may occur in each part, such as insulation failure, fallen
or broken transmission lines, incorrect operation of circuit
breakers, short circuits and open circuits. Protection devices are
installed with the aims of protection of assets, and ensure
continued supply of energy.
Switchgear is a combination of electrical disconnect switches,
fuses or circuit breakers used to control, protect and isolate
electrical equipment. Switches are safe to open under normal
load current, while protective devices are safe to open under fault
current.

Protective Device
A digital (numeric) multifunction protective relay for distribution
networks. A single such device can replace many single-function
electromechanical relays, and provides self-testing and
communication functions.

control the tripping of the circuit breakers surrounding

Protective relays
the faulted part of the network
Automatic operation, such as auto-re-closing or system restart
Monitoring equipment which collects data on the system for post
event analysis
While the operating quality of these devices, and especially of
protective relays, is always critical, different strategies are
considered for protecting the different parts of the system. Very
important equipment may have completely redundant and
independent protective systems, while a minor branch
distribution line may have very simple low-cost protection.
There are three parts of protective devices:
• Instrument transformer: current or potential (CT or VT)
• Relay
• Circuit breaker

Advantages of protected devices with these three basic

components include safety, economy, and accuracy.
• Safety: Instrument transformers create electrical isolation
from the power system, and thus establishing a safer
environment for personnel working with the relays.
 • Economy: Relays are able to be simpler, smaller, and cheaper
given lower-level relay inputs.
• Accuracy: Power system voltages and currents are accurately
reproduced by instrument transformers over large operating
ranges.

OPTCL Profile

• Started commercial operation from 01.04.2005 only as a Transmission

Licensee. (a deemed Transmission Licensee under Section 14 of Electricity Act,
2003)
• Notified as the State Transmission Utility (STU) by the State Govt. and
discharges the State Load Dispatch functions.

ODISHA POWER TRANSMISSION CORPORATION LIMITED (OPTCL),

one of the largest Transmission Utility in the country was incorporated in March
2004 under the Companies Act, 1956 as a company wholly owned by the
Government of Odisha to undertake the business of transmission and wheeling of
electricity in the State. The registered office of the Company is situated at
Bhubaneswar, the capital of the State of Odisha. Its projects and field units are
spread all over the State.

OPTCL became fully opeartional with effect from 9th June 2005 consequent
upon issue of Odisha Electricity Reform (Transfer of Transmission and Related
Activities) Scheme, 2005 under the provisions of Electricity Act, 2003 and the
Odisha Reforms Act, 1995 by the State Government for transfer and vesting of
transmission related activities of GRIDCO with OPTCL. The Company has been
designated as the State Transmission Utility in terms of Section 39 of the
Electricity Act, 2003.

Presently the Company is carrying on intra state transmission and wheeling of

electricity under a license issued by the Odisha Electricity Regulatory
Commission. The Company is also discharging the functions of State Load
Despatch Centre. The Company owns Extra High Voltage Transmission system
and operates about 13,076.997 ckt kms of transmission lines at 400 kV, 220 kV,
132 kV levels and 133 nos. of substations with transformation capacity of
16,514.50 MVA having 340 nos of transformers.
The day-to-day affairs of the Company are managed by the Managing Director
assisted by whole-time Functional Directors as per the advice of the Board of
Directors constituted. They are in turn assisted by a team of dedicated and
experienced professionals in the various fields.