Water and Energy International

Since independence the growth in Indian Power sector is phenomenal. The installed Generation capacity has reached about 310 GW (as on December 2016) with commensurate transmission & distribution network and transformation capacity. Huge generation capacity addition with phenomenal growth of Private Sector Generation, commensurate expansion & strengthening of the associated Transmission & Distribution network, operation of multiple agencies (State Utilities, Central Utilities, and Private players) in a deregulated environment, expansion of electricity market, integration of huge quantum of generation from renewable sources, operation as one synchronous National Grid and cross border interconnection have increased the complexity of Indian Power system many folds.

To achieve the objective of providing Reliable, Uninterruptable (24x7), Affordable and Quality Power for All, high availability & reliable operation of major assets of the power system assume tremendous importance in such a scenario. The transformer being one of the most important and expensive assets in a power system plays an important role in availability and reliability of the system. It forms an important link between source of generation and the load centers or the consumers of the power. Emphasis needs to be laid on the improved design, quality control during manufacturing, maintenance & safety during operation of such vital/critical equipment. The management of such vital assets, when they are in service/operation as well as when they have outlived their expected life/at the end-of-life, is a challenging task for all utilities in a reformed power sector. The Residual Life of vital asset and the cost associated with Energy Not Served (ENS) due to outages should be major consideration while taking decisions on “Run-Refurbish-Replace”, investment and future planning of the entire power system.

In the paper, the need of Standardization, interchangeability & strong effective Regulations has been addressed and initiatives being taken in that direction has been highlighted.