Best Practices in O&M Substation Equipment Including Power Transformer and Reactors

Power transformers, reactors and other allied equipments are key elements of Substations responsible for voltage transformation and bulk power transfer across the grid. Any failure or forced outage of these important elements lead to widespread power disruptions, significant financial losses, and long restoration times.

Present times ageing infrastructure, higher loading of assets, renewable energy flows at particular time only and growing adoption of digital technologies leading to grid complexity all the Power Men are facing new challenges and taking it as opportunities in evolving new O&M practices for ensuring reliability, safety, efficiency, and longevity of power system assets.

In this paper we try to share our views on the general observation gained during experience of almost 30 years in Power Sector in Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Punjab and Rajasthan. We too support a need for implementation of small actions to be taken by each organisation at local level for all the Substation equipment by framing the O&M procedures based on common guidelines at the national level/ apex agency dealing in Monitoring & Control of Healthiness of Substation Equipment. On implemention in true spirit, this will certainly lead to great impact on power quality, power availability and Indian economy as well. Support from Government for making effective policy & providing facilities in this regard shall obviously be required.