MPs' panel lauds Govt steps to ensure reliable power grid amid surging demand
Chandigarh, June 2
The Consultative Committee meeting for the Ministry of Power held on Tuesday appreciated the steps being taken to ensure a reliable, resilient power grid in the country with the large-scale renewable energy integration and increasing share of inverter-based generation resources.
The meeting, chaired by the Union Minister for Power, Manohar Lal Khattar, deliberated on the emerging requirements of grid stability in view of India's growing electricity demand. Discussions covered secure renewable integration, transmission strengthening, energy storage, dynamic reactive power support, grid flexibility, compliance with technical standards, forecasting, power quality and resilience of the grid.
It was noted that grid stability is central to energy security and that India's clean energy transition must be supported by a reliable, flexible and resilient power grid.
Members appreciated the initiatives already being taken, including resource adequacy planning, ancillary services, energy storage promotion, deployment of STATCOMs and synchronous condensers, PMU-based monitoring, black-start mock drills, and strengthening of technical standards. The committee appreciated the record renewable capacity integration of more than 50 GW in a year.
The committee was informed that the steps being taken for ensuring grid stability in India with large penetration of inverter-based generation resources and bulk loads include avoiding mismatch between commissioning of transmission lines and RE generation projects to avoid curtailment and promoting pumped storage projects for long-duration storage to ensure resource adequacy and provide inertial support.
Suitable bulk consumers closer to large renewable generation complexes are being encouraged to optimise transmission investments and planning and deployment of equipment such as STATCOMs and synchronous condensers for voltage stability and system strength support is also being undertaken.
Besides, establishing suitable regulatory and commercial mechanisms to harness flexibility services from renewable energy sources and storage systems and periodic and timely review of technical standards for new technologies such as battery energy storage systems, grid-forming inverters, electrolysers, and data centre loads is being carried out.
Strengthening compliance monitoring through periodic self-audit and compliance reporting by grid-connected entities and improving renewable energy forecasting through better weather data, calibration and maintenance of weather stations, and installation of automatic weather stations in renewable energy plants are among other measures.
Steps are also being taken to enhance grid resilience through strengthening of transmission and distribution infrastructure in weather-prone corridors, maintaining emergency restoration systems and augmenting black-start capability for faster restoration.
The meeting was attended by Shripad Yesso Naik, Minister of State for Power, MPs who are members of the Consultative Committee, the Secretary, Ministry of Power, and senior representatives from key power sector institutions, including the Central Electricity Authority, Grid Controller of India Limited and Central Transmission Utility of India Limited.
— IANS
Reader Comments
👏 This is impressive! India integrating 50 GW of renewable energy in one year while maintaining grid stability is no small feat. The mention of pumped storage projects and black-start capabilities shows they're thinking ahead. As someone living in Delhi, I've seen fewer power cuts in recent years - so something is working!
As an expat working in India's energy sector, this is really encouraging. India is leapfrogging many developed nations in integrating renewables. The focus on STATCOMs and synchronous condensers for voltage stability is crucial - we saw what happened in Texas during the 2021 freeze when the grid wasn't prepared. India learning from global mistakes 👍
On paper, everything sounds good. But let's be honest - the real issue is distribution. Our transmission and distribution losses are still high. Also, why are we constantly fighting with China over grid equipment? We should focus on indigenizing critical components for grid stability. Otherwise, these plans remain just plans.
Interesting to see that forecasting and weather stations are being emphasized. In the UK, we've had issues with wind power unpredictability causing grid strain. India's approach of combining storage (pumped hydro) with better forecasting seems smart. Hope they also invest in smart meters and consumer-level demand response - that's where the real efficiency gains are.
Government talking about grid resilience is good, but we need to address the elephant in the room - the discoms (distribution companies) are still in poor financial health. Unless that is fixed, all this investment in transmission and generation won't translate to reliable power at the consumer end. Arre se pareshan
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