VOL 16 • ISSUE NO. 3 • November 2024 PGS.

92 ISSN 0970-2946 • `100/-

IEEMA
Annual
CONVENTION 2024

Other Stories:
• ELECRAMA Previews: Lucknow, Rajkot, Coimbatore…
• Focus: RK Tyagi, CMD, POWERGRID
• Interaction: Sunil Mathur, MD & CEO, Siemens Limited
• Insights: Concept of Bonding and Earthing Power Cables;
Vibration Monitoring of Power Transformers
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 Volume 16 • Issue No. 03 • November 2024
CIN U99999MH1970GAP014629
Official Organ of Indian Electrical & Electronics
Manufacturers’ Association
Member: The Indian Newspaper Society

Obituary: Mr Ratan Tata 09 For suggestions and feedback, please write

From the President’s Desk 10 to us on [email protected]
Samvaad 11

COVER STORY
IEEMA ANNUAL CONVENTION 2024 12
Industry experts at IEEMA’s Annual Convention discussed the power sector’s transition and
opportunities, effective change management for successful enterprises, the journey towards a
sustainable future, ways to scale up organisations, among others…

SPECIAL REPORT SPECIAL REPORT

Milestone: Renewable Energy Capacity Boosting Exports 46
Hits 200 GW in India 28 IEEMA JOURNAL identifies avenues to expand the
Renewable energy now constitutes 46.3 percent global reach of Indian electrical and electronics
of the country’s total capacity, reflecting a major products and services.
shift in India’s energy landscape.

FOCUS
“There will be no transition
without transmission of power.” 36
- RK Tyagi, Chairman & Managing
Director, POWERGRID

INSIGHT
Vibration Monitoring of Power
Transformers 42
Murari P Srivastava, Managing Director,
IRD Mechanalysis Limited, writes on the gradual
generation of vibration and noise levels and
methods to measure and control them.

|6| November 2024

INTERACTION POLICY UPDATES 80
“We need to believe in the • MoP unveils National Electricity Plan for
India long-term story and start transmission.
investing now.” 50 • Union Cabinet approves India’s entry into IEEH.
- Sunil Mathur, Managing Director & • MNRE notifies draft guidelines for PM Surya
CEO, Siemens Limited Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, Innovative Projects
Component.
• MoP releases guidelines for installation and
INSIGHT operation of EV charging infrastructure-2024.
The Power of Bonding! 55 • CERC issues draft CERC (Regulations for
KK Murty, CE (T&C), Retd, MPPTCL Jabalpur Inter-State Transmission Charges and Losses)
and Dr Rajesh Kumar Arora, Sr Manager (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2024.
(Technical) D&E, DTL, New Delhi, delve into the
• MNRE increases ALMM solar module
concept of bonding and earthing power cables,
capacity by 2 GW.
with a special emphasis on XLPE cables.
• MoP issues guidelines for installation
and operation of battery swapping and
THINK TANK charging stations.
“Smart metres contribute to cost efficiency,
grid reliability, and data security.” 66
- Jaideep Mukherjee, Chairman,
IEEMA Energy Meter Division

IEEMA EVENTS
ELECRAMA 2025: Sustainability,
Innovation, Safety, and Automation 70
As previews to the mega event, IEEMA held
roadshows in the cities of Lucknow, NEWS
Rajkot and Coimbatore. NATIONAL 82
• Powergrid secures bid for ISTS project
on BOOT basis.
• Government approves ASHVINI to develop
nuclear power plants.
• Maharashtra Government signs MoUs worth
Rs475 billion for RE projects.
• NHPC and APGENCO signs JVA to set up
1.8 GW PSP.
• West Bengal cabinet approves construction
of 660 MW supercritical power plant.
• THDCIL signs MoU with Rajasthan
Government for 1,600 MW PSPs.

INTERNATIONAL 83
IEEMA EVENTS • Nepal, India, Bangladesh sign tripartite
Best Practices for Underground power agreement.
Power Cables 74 • MoU signed to explore RE in ASEAN countries.
IEEMA conducted a two-days workshop on • World Bank approves US$ 250 million to boost
‘Best Practices for Underground Power Cables – Lebanon’s clean energy and grid services.
from Design to Manufacutring to Testing, Laying • US-based firm to invest in solar power projects
and Accessories’ in Mumbai. in Vietnam’s industrial parks.

November 2024 |7|

CONTENTS EDITORIAL BOARD
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Founder Chairman Chairman
The late RG Keswani Sunil Singhvi
CORPORATE 85
Members
• GAIL and AMG sign agreement for 2.5 GW
Sunil Singhvi Mustafa Wajid
renewable energy.
Rohit Pathak Atul Arya
• Tata Power signs MoU worth Rs1,200 billion A Naveen Kumar Imteyaz Siddiqui
with Rajasthan Government. R Krishnakumar
• Adani Group merges two subsidiaries with ANIL. Editor Statistics & Data Incharge
• Avaada launches solar manufacturing facility Charu Mathur Ninad Ranade
in Nagpur.
Regd Office – Mumbai
• PGPPL signs share purchase agreement to 501, Kakad Chambers, 132, Dr A Besant Road,
acquire 100% stake in Deshraj Solar Energy. Worli, Mumbai 400 018.
Phone: +91(0) 22 24930532 / 6528
• JSW Renew Energy Thirteen inks PPA with Fax: +91(0) 22 2493 2705 • Email: [email protected]
NTPC for 700 MW solar power project.
Corporate Office - New Delhi
• REC raises US$ 500 million via green bond to Rishyamook Building, First floor,
support RE projects. 85 A, Panchkuian Road, New Delhi 110001.
Phone: +91 (0) 11-23363013, 14, 16
• KEC International wins new orders of Fax: +91 (0) 11-23363015 • Email: [email protected]
Rs1,003 crore. Branch Office – Bengaluru
• Web Werks – Iron Mountain Data Centers and K Seetharaman, Assistant Director
Lightstorm partner to enhance digital State Head – Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu
infrastructure for Indian enterprises. Regional Representative-Southern Region
Mobile: +91 99800 04982
Email: [email protected]
POWER STATISTICS Branch Office – Kolkata
Sanjoy Mukherjee, Regional Representative-Eastern Region
• Global Scenario 76 Mobile: +91 98308 50757
Email: [email protected]
• Indian Scenario 77
Website: www.ieema.org
IEEMA DATABASE Articles: Technical data presented and views expressed by
authors of articles are their own and IEEMA does not assume
• Basic Prices and Indices 78 any responsibility for the same. IEEMA Journal owns copyright
for original articles published in IEEMA Journal.
• Production Statistics 79 STATE HEADS
Rajesh Parab
PRODUCT SHOWCASE 88 Senior Executive Officer & State Head-Maharashtra
Mobile: +91 97022 69598
• Solar inverters designed to optimise Email: [email protected]
energy production and maximise savings Anuj Kumar Chaturvedi
State Head-UP, Uttarakhand & MP
• Testing tool for insulation resistance Mobile: +91 98396 03195 / 95191 38844
Email: [email protected]
and voltage across industries Ashish Vikram
State Head-UP
AD INDEX 89 Mobile: +91 98733 05589
Email: [email protected]
SHOCKS & SPARKS Omkar Pradhan
State Head - Vadodara (Gujarat)
Snippets from late Mr RG Keswani’s Mobile: +91 98199 06433
original Shocks & Sparks 90 Email: [email protected]
Mohammad Irfan Parray
State Head-Jammu & Kashmir
For subscription and advertisement queries, write to: Mobile: +91 98584 55509
[email protected] Email: [email protected]
Nilankha Chaliha
Edited, printed and published by Ms. Charu Mathur on behalf State Head-North East
of Indian Electrical and Electronics Manufacturers’ Association, Mobile: +91 97063 89965
and printed at Indigo Press (India) Pvt Ltd, Plot No. 1C/716, Email: [email protected]
Off Dadoji Konddeo Cross Road, Between Sussex and Retiwala Rajnish Kaushik
Industrial Estate, Byculla (E), Mumbai-400 027, and published State Head-Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh & Chandigarh
at 501, Kakad Chambers,132, Dr. Annie Besant Road, Worli, Mobile: +91 99911 10246
Mumbai 400 018. Email: [email protected]

|8| November 2024

OBITUARY

Remembering
Mr Ratan Tata
(1937 - 2024)
O
n October 9, the nation lost a renowned steelmaker. Under Mr Tata’s leadership,
industrialist and philanthropist the conglomerate expanded significantly,
Mr Ratan Naval Tata. An extraordinary operating in over 100 countries. It underwent
human being, a compassionate soul, and an significant transformation, expanding its global
astute gentleman, the departure of Mr Tata was footprint and diversifying into industries such
mourned by the entire nation. as steel, automobiles, Information Technology,
Mr Tata has made a significant impact and hospitality. By 2012, when Mr Tata decided
on industry and society. His contributions to retire at 74, Tata Group’s revenue totalled
to India’s economic modernisation are no US$ 100 billion. Under his leadership, it
overstatement. The former chairman of the achieved US$ 165 billion in revenue for the year
Tata Group transformed the conglomerate ending March 2024.
into a global powerhouse. Mr Tata was not In a statement announcing Mr Ratan Tata’s
only admired for his stewardship of among death, said N Chandrasekaran, Chairman of
India’s largest conglomerates, but also for his the Tata Group, “For the Tata Group, Mr Tata
personal ethics and philanthropic interests. was more than a chairperson. To me, he was
These included supporting research and a mentor, guide and friend. He inspired by
improvements in education, medicine, and example. With an unwavering commitment
rural development. He was known to establish to excellence, integrity and innovation, the
and upgrade hospitals and research centres Tata Group under his stewardship expanded
and stood committed to reduce economic and its global footprint while always remaining
social inequality. true to its moral compass.” He added,
His is a legacy of compassion and “Mr Tata’s dedication to philanthropy and the
innovation that has impacted millions of development of society has touched the lives
ordinary lives. It is one of transformative of millions. From education to healthcare, his
leadership and a visionary approach. He was initiatives have left a deep-rooted mark that will
known for his philanthropic efforts through benefit generations to come. Reinforcing all
Tata Trusts. of this work was Mr Tata’s genuine humility in
Mr Ratan Tata joined the Tata Group in 1962 every individual interaction.”
and assumed leadership in 1991. In a short In his interactions with journalists and
span of six years, he was able to reorganise investors, Mr Tata always came across as
the Tata Group, the revenue of which stood at soft-spoken, sophisticated, and courteous.
US$ 5.9 billion then. He soon ambitiously In his lifetime, Mr Tata received two
pushed his group to seek business from of India’s highest civilian honours – the
overseas, resulting in the Tata group spending Padma Vibhushan in 2008 and the
US$ 15 billion to buy Tetley Tea, Jaguar Land Padma Bhushan in 2000. India has lost a
Rover and Corus Group, the Anglo-Dutch true gem but his legacy lives on…

November 2024 |9|

NEWS Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit,

FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK

sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt

Dear Members and Readers,

It is my honour to be taking forward the baton
from Hamza Arsiwala and writing to you as
President, IEEMA, for the first time through
IEEMA JOURNAL. I assure you of taking
forward and continuing to build on the focus
areas we have planned together for IEEMA and
the industry.
The Indian power sector has a great
opportunity for growth and investments in the
years to come. The time to invest and ‘Make in
India’ is now. The world is our market, and we
must make India acceptable worldwide. and manage electricity will also change. India’s
Sustainability is the foundation of this renewable capacity is already at 200 GW, and
growth. Apart from becoming a mandatory we are talking about 500 GW by 2030. So,
practice and a quality requirement, it is crucial managing the grid will be extremely important
for mitigating carbon emission levels. It is as the distribution side will particularly become
interesting to see serious efforts from the challenging. As an industry, we must adopt
buyers’ side too, in terms of keeping a check on technologies on this front.
sustainability through audits. Green hydrogen is another big area, and
Quality and reliability are at the core of the India has already taken a step forward in this
opportunities that will unfold. Given we are not direction with our first electrolyser factory set
only suppliers but also buyers, let’s think of the up in Bengaluru. The Government of India is also
lifetime cost of a product, not just the initial planning about Rs19,000 crore investments in
cost of it. If we achieve this, there is no reason green hydrogen over the years.
we cannot compete with anyone in the world Skilling is another important focus area.
when it comes to quality and commitment I am happy to share that at IEEMA, we have
of delivery. a skilling initiative, with a large part of our
Global buyers and the supply markets focus towards electrical safety. As an industry,
are looking closely at quality. Customers in if we do not focus on skilling now, our major
overseas markets such as Europe and Australia constraint will not be capital, but skill.
are demanding quality products. Our industry At IEEMA, we are also working to strengthen
comprises 70 percent MSME members and I standarisation activities.
can assure all of you that quality does not mean I urge all of you to actively participate in
increased cost. We think of this as a culture and IEEMA activities, contribute to this change,
for it to change, it is time to adopt new ways and I am confident we can take India to the
of working. Our IEEMA quality cell will work in next level.
this direction and contribute towards quality
objectives and standards.
Global markets are also undergoing energy
transition in a big way. That said, how we buy
Sigh
SUNIL SINGHVI

| 10 | November 2024
 SAMVAAD
Dear Members,
IEEMA leaders recently met with the
Union Minister for Power and Housing and
Urban Affairs, Shri Manohar Lal, to discuss the
industry scenario. The Power Minister spoke
of energy evacuation targets and the role of
electrical equipment, industry capacity and
the industry’s commitment to Make in India
and exports. IEEMA assured the honourable
minister that the industry is geared up to
service the nation.
This assurance is also reflected in the
major milestone witnessed in India’s energy
landscape – as a country, we have achieved
200 GW of renewable energy (RE), with RE sustainable future, and sessions on the
now constituting 46.3 percent of our total much-needed effective change management
capacity. This is significant and only shows our for successful enterprises and what can be
industry’s commitment to sustainability and done to scale up one’s organisations.
making in India. As an industry body too, this We are also gearing up for the 10th edition of
has been one of our important focus areas at Metering India on November 21-22 in New Delhi.
IEEMA – promoting investments in generation, Metering India is one of the most important
manufacturing, transmission and distribution, technical events of the industry and with this
among others. This milestone resonates with we mark a decade of its existence.
our push to the industry for investing now, ELECRAMA 2025 has also gained much
for building a greener future. momentum – with this edition promising
Having said that, as an industry, we have to be Bigger, Better, Bolder! I am excited to
a lot to do to achieve the government’s announce that this year, we are aiming to have
National Electricity Plan (NEP) for transmitting five global CEOs. I will share some prominent
500 GW of RE by 2030. The NEP also considers names of these CEOs in my next message. The
the need for 47 GW of battery energy storage scale of the event is evident from the industry
systems and 31 GW of pumped storage plants. already having taken up all the space on offer
The transmission system is designed to deliver for showcasing technologies and product
power to green hydrogen and green ammonia offerings. This month on, we have also opened
manufacturing hubs in coastal areas. up sponsorship opportunities to cater to those
Interestingly, a recent report by a private companies that have missed booking space.
research firm asserts that India’s power sector Our regional roadshows are seeing huge
has the potential of investing Rs40 trillion traction. In October, we held outreaches at
over the next decade, driven by the demand Rajkot and Coimbatore and will be hosting these
for power, among others. Of this Rs40 trillion, previews in Chennai, Nashik and Aurangabad
Rs34 trillion investments are expected in in November to gear up for the mega event in
capex, with generation, transmission, and February 2025.
smart metering accounting for an estimated As always, I welcome your feedback on
86 percent, 10 percent, and 4 percent, as per the how we can be your voice in the industry –
report. Electric vehicles and data centres will through advocacy, events, the Journal, and
be significant contributors to this growth. more. Wishing each of you a Happy Diwali and
Our Annual Convention held in September a luminous season ahead!
also echoed similar thoughts from industry
leaders – on the time to invest being now. We had
in-depth discussions on the sector’s transition
and opportunities, the journey towards a CHARU MATHUR

November 2024 | 11 |
COVER STORY

IEEMA
Annual
CONVENTION 2024
Industry experts at IEEMA’s Annual Convention discussed the
power sector’s transition and opportunities, effective change
management for successful enterprises, the journey towards a
sustainable future, ways to scale up organisations, among others…

OPENING PLENARY

| 12 | November 2024
T
he Indian Electrical & Electronics’
Manufacturers Association (IEEMA) hosted
the Annual Convention 2024 and 77th AGM at
Hotel Taj Lands End in Mumbai on September 20,
2024. Industry experts at the Convention discussed
in-depth topics such as ‘How to bring in effective
change management for successful enterprises’,
‘Outlook of India’s journey towards a sustainable
future’, ‘How to scale up organisations’, among
others. The Convention also featured an inspiring
talk by author and columnist Chetan Bhagat.

High on Advocacy! CHARU MATHUR

Charu Mathur, Director General, IEEMA, welcoming
industry leaders, speakers and the audience, said,
“The power sector is in the midst of transition and
the industry is aligning itself to cater to this seamless policy matters.” She further touched upon how
transition. For IEEMA, this year has been significant, IEEMA is posturing towards ensuring that
as we gained a seat on the high table to drive opportunities are appropriately leveraged through
conversations with the government on key public policy, advocacy, proposals, among others.

November 2024 | 13 |
COVER STORY

Promising Future
Hamza Arsiwala, Immediate Past President (then
President at the Annual Convention), IEEMA,
highlighted how power plays a crucial role in
infrastructure. “The demand for power has surged
by 80 percent in the past decade, and per capita
consumption has risen from 1,200 kWh to nearly
1,550 kWh today. This growth highlights the critical
need for e cient energy solutions and a focused
approach towards renewable energy, storage
solutions, and green hydrogen,” he said. He
highlighted that the Indian electrical and electronics
sector has grown steadily, reaching a total market
size of US$ 70 billion with exports standing at
US$ 12 billion. He added, “As we work towards a
cleaner energy future, investments in the power
sector are pivotal. In the past five to six years, HAMZA ARSIWALA
US$ 180 billion has been invested, and by 2030,
an additional US$ 500 billion is planned. This
includes significant transmission and distribution
investments, which are essential for integrating The Convention covered crucial topics such as
renewable energy and expanding capacity. By 2030, supply chain resilience, the integration of renewable
we aim to add 500 GW of renewable energy along energy into grid, and strategies for scaling up
with 60 GW of thermal capacity.” organisations in the face of rapid change.

OPENING PLENARY
The plenary session was moderated by Mohammad What the Future Holds!
Saif, Partner, Ernst & Young (E&Y). He opened the Vimal Kejriwal: I don’t think we have seen such good
session, saying, “The global and Indian power sector times as we are seeing today. With the focus on
has been going through several disruptions and renewables, projects are becoming much complex
changes in the past decade. Most of these have and bigger – be it load balancing or the amount of
stabilised, but the ripple effects of it is now at its power to be transmitted. When I started off, my first
peak. How the industry should settle across the project was a Rs50-crore project to be done over
global power sector value chain is a major challenge.” 42 months. Last year, we received a Rs90-crore
Panellists of the session included Vimal Kejriwal, project from POWERGRID to be done in 15 months.
Managing Director, KEC International Limited So, if we want to meet demand, we must gear up and
and Ashish Bhandari, Manging Director & CEO, be ready for the huge industry changes happening.
Thermax Limited. We are seeing a major change in how we maintain
Excerpts from the discussion: quality. The question is: How do we gear up to

| 14 | November 2024
COVER STORY

fast-track project execution – through mechanisation, subsidy for green hydrogen. India too is coming
automation, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), up with its policies. But the opportunity for India
among others? We need to do a lot more to meet this is to be able to produce hydrogen at the lowest
great opportunity available in a long time. cost in the world. On the demand side, the single
Ashish Bhandari: Demand will grow in almost biggest driver of the cost of producing hydrogen
every major sector in India in a few years from now. is electricity; this will be a big factor in the shift to
By when India hits 100 years of Independence, in electricity and this electricity will be green. The
25 years, we will need to build 3x more of everything combination of solar and storage is vital for
we have built over the last 75 years. The implications enabling this shift to hydrogen. This will also
on all major industries will be massive – be it determine a whole set of movements. For several
generation of power, steel, cement, every sector. hard-to-abate industries, especially fertilisers,
Opportunities will force newer technologies and steel, refining and petrochemical, this is one big
capabilities to match energy sustainability with lever of what the future will hold.
availability. It is a huge commercial opportunity. 2. Biofuels, also called e-fuels – It is an expensive
Electricity will be a big driver. India is in a relatively fuel in some cases, but India is showing we can
good spot, but the amount of electricity we will do this in certain sectors. Ethanol is a great
require will be huge. This much-needed infrastructure example. We have crossed 10 percent of our
development will not only kickstart new technologies, petrol being substituted with ethanol, with an
but also provide impetus to a lot of differentiated aim to reach 20 percent. There is a similar big
capabilities that we can bring in the country. movement on bio-CNG, which is converting

Gamechangers
Vimal Kejriwal: Three Cs for a successful
1. The use of digital technologies – Internet of
Things (IoT), AI, Machine Learning (ML), among global venture:
others – to fast-track larger projects and cut Cost competitiveness;
down timelines, where with the data you feed in
and the click of a button you get 500 designs. Consistency of quality;
With the use of these technologies, we can
differentiate on how we meet the requirements of
Commitment – to quality,
larger projects. delivery, sustainability, price.
2. Huge opportunities, especially in offshore wind.
We need to be ready for this, which will be a big
business going forward. biowaste into CNG. This is a nascent industry,
3. The interconnection between other countries but with big players such as Reliance and Adani
and India taking shape. For this, we will require coming in, it is expected to formalise.
different technologies and ways of execution, 3. CO2 and carbon markets – India is already talking
and we need to prepare for it. about formulating carbon markets. So, all
4. We are not seeing a long-term solution to labour industries, especially steel and cement, over the
availability. So, we need to change our way of next five years, will have to get serious about
doing projects and question: How do we their carbon emissions, which means a whole set
mechanise? How do we automate? How do we of capabilities around coal gasification, cleaner
do pre-casting? A lot of changes will have to coal, ultra-supercritical power plants coming into
happen in the way projects are executed. Another play to displace older, less e cient thermal
factor here is the cost related to labour logistics. plants. This whole space will evolve.
In fact, we are in active dialogue with POWERGRID
to bring in specifications in labour logistics. Going Global!
How we improve productivity and provide Vimal Kejriwal: It is critical is to have a global mindset.
better facilities to our workers will be a big There must also be a single standard, be it
game-changer. manufacturing for India or for the exports market.

Sustainability at the Future’s Core Three Cs for a successful global venture:

Ashish Bhandari: 1. Cost competitiveness
1. Hydrogen – This is a nascent industry, not just 2. Consistency of quality
for India but a good part of the world. Several 3. Commitment – to quality, to delivery,
Western countries such as the US provide a sustainability, price.

| 16 | November 2024
 These are critical for success. Consistency,
quality, sustainability are important. How you
maintain standards is most critical to be successful.
We have also been taking our partners to the global
market because we want a dependent supply chain.
So another important thing is how we work across
the country to make these partners successful, so
that the entire value chain system is developed,
especially in a scenario when supply chain is a big
constraint. Relationships with suppliers and clients
are also critical, especially for the global market,
where getting approvals for sub-vendors is critical.

Exciting Times
Ashish Bhandari: Our manufacturing must
significantly step up. This is the time to invest, not SUNIL SINGHVI
just for India but for the world. As a country, we
invest very little on research and development (R&D).
There are some exciting times coming for India’s is to focus on the generation side – the way the
energy sector as we look forward. grid will be managed.
On carbon tax and CO2 capture technologies, 3. The software side is another big business, and
without a carbon tax coming into play, I see it di cult we need to start investing in this.
for some of these technologies to take off in a much 4. Skilling is another important area. At IEEMA, we
bigger way. have an upskilling initiative.
Sunil Singhvi, President (then President-Elect at 5. In terms of quality, since we are also buyers and
the Annual Convention), IEEMA, presented the not only suppliers, also think of the lifetime cost,
concluding remarks. “The whole world is our market not the initial cost. There is no reason why we
because there are opportunities world over,” he said. cannot compete with anyone in the world,
But, “we must grow based on a few foundations,” he including the Chinese, because of our quality and
shared: commitment of delivery, not only price.
1. Sustainability, because it is becoming a Let’s contribute to this change and we can take India
mandatory buying practice. to the next level.
2. Quality and reliability – This is the time for the
industry to adopt technologies and change the The Electrical & Allied Electronics Equipment
culture. This is the time to go to global markets. Landscape Report 2032 was also unveiled at the
Along with energy transition, an important point Annual Convention.

Unveiling of the ‘Electrical & Electronics Equipment Landscaping Report 2032’

November 2024 | 17 |
COVER STORY

SPECIAL SESSION: How to Bring in Effective Change Management

for Successful Enterprises

Amar Kaul, Managing Director & CEO, CG Power & whole population with you. And that’s the most
Industrial Solutions Limited, in this session, di cult thing.
discussed ‘How to Bring in Effective Change
Management for Successful Enterprises’. 2. Connections
Think from the point of the person getting
Highlights from his interactive session: impacted with the change and then question:
I have reflected on four steps on change Why should this person support and
management from my journey of the past three wholeheartedly work with me on that change?
decades: That’s where the game changes. The moment
you put yourself in another person’s shoes, the
1. What change and why?
person is all yours.
The systematic approach on dealing with change
– Why the need for change? Because we get Now from a go-to-market strategy point of view,
happiness out of it. And, because change is the we are talking about a big change. That is where
life of nature. Change could be related to market every function had to come together – from HR
dynamics, technology, sector-specific changes – to marketing to sales to procurement to
renewable, sustainability, green energy… manufacturing. So, cross-functional teamwork.
The account management principle.
Speaking of semiconductors, at CG Power too,
we are investing a lot into the semiconductor
3. Identify training needs
business because that will be the future. We
We were into industrial equipment manufacturing;
want to ensure that we have all the know-how
and were structured in such a way that the
here in the country, rather than only importing
machine was sold by a particular set of team,
these things.
parts sold by a second set of people, and the
Change could also be a resultant of crisis. If there service business handled by a third set of people.
is an issue, there are rejections or customer is So, three sets of people interacting with the same
unhappy, something needs to be changed to customer.
ensure the customer is satisfied.
So, I’m a customer. I give the order to Mr. A. Then
You also need change to achieve the next level of I need spare parts, so comes in Mr. B. And then
growth – when things are going okay, but you for a problem or service,
really want to step up the game. I have to look for the
service personnel or the
So, about 10 years back, we started a business
helpline number. From a
and a go-to-market strategy in India for it. When I
customer’s point of view,
say go-to-market, what does it really mean? Is
this is painful and a loss
there a process around it?
of time.
We had about 10-11 percent growth every year
Here comes the account
then. Things were normal. But to step up the
management principle
game, we created a step-by-step process on what
we opted for. So, is
go-to-market means. Under this, we did account
management. We questioned: How can we
change the status quo? Maybe grow 13 percent?
How do we double or triple this growth rate? And
that’s where our go-to-market strategy came into
the picture. So, step-by-step, we populated the
process, in terms of market size, segmentation,
verticals, which customer, which markets,
geographical expansions, among others, and
then came the people – the changer. Who are the
people getting impacted?
So, first, is to define why. The moment you reason
why you are changing something, you get the

AMAR KAUL
November 2024 | 19 |
COVER STORY

it not good that a customer has a go-to person This whole journey took us about four to six
with end-to-end responsibility from a company? months. Once the first phase was done, it was
This was the thought process. integrated as a part of the organisation. So, the role
Now comes the reaction from people – I have code or job code from a sales manager or sales
been selling machines for 20 years, I have never engineer selling only machines or parts or service
sold parts, I have no clue on how to service. This became that of an account management.
identifies the need for training. The results: From 10-12 percent growth in the
previous years, we started growing at about 24-25
4. Communicating with stakeholders percent. Engagement of people went up multi-fold.
Opening up and discussing who are the people We divided India into five regions. We started
impacted and what is done. Again, training is from the North with 22 people as against having
most important because the person who has some 20 people for the whole machine, for selling
sold a machine has not sold parts or vice versa parts, for service. So, we freed up the capacity. And
and it was our job to ensure they get trained on it. accordingly, we reallocated all these people by our
Once through with this basic framework, execute geographical expansion. Now, communication must
the plan, provide support and coaching and be clear – it is not a manpower reduction activity,
leadership engagement to drive it. It is important but a cost-effective activity. The questions are: How
that leaders engage in the discipline, be it on a daily, do we get productive How do we improve e ciency
weekly or fortnightly basis. This communication must be clear.”

SPECIAL SESSION: Outlook of India’s Journey Towards a

Sustainable Future

Vineet Mittal, Chairman, Avaada Group, in this capacity mismatches, among others. He expressed
session, explored the ‘Outlook of India’s Journey optimism about India’s clean energy future, citing
Towards a Sustainable Future’. This session focused the government’s supportive policies. He
on India’s potential to become a global leader in emphasised the need for ramping up electrolyser
clean energy and achieve a sustainable future. It manufacturing and highlighted the potential of
conveyed a positive outlook for India’s clean energy green hydrogen and ammonia exports.
transition, highlighting the government’s Among his suggestions included: Policy support
commitment, abundant resources, and vast for increasing component manufacturing in India;
opportunities for domestic companies. flexibility in PLI incentive disbursement, in case of
Mittal addressed industry challenges, including non-availability of capital equipment; and a roadmap
RLMM eligibility criteria, lack of for increasing polysilicon and wafer manufacturing
domestic ancillary material capacity to meet the module manufacturing
manufacturers, fear of pacing capacity need.
up ancillary and capital Highlights from his power-packed speech:
infrastructure, impact of “The Sun is shining on India. At Avaada, when we
non-availability of capital started, we signed a 40-MW contract with the Gujarat
equipment on incentives, Government as part of Vibrant Gujarat in 2009. Even
polysilicon and wafer 40 MW looked ambitious because the biggest plant
manufacturing in India then was less than 1 MW. When we had to
procure solar panels back then, we were refused
with the reason that India has not even done 1 MW.
Later, we partnered with Conergy for this project and
made it operational. In 2010, when we made an
announcement of doing a 500-MW project, we
received a lot of criticism, given that the
JNNSM 20 MW programme was still not
launched then. But thereafter, the Sun
is shining, and we are capitalising the
abundance of it.
This sector alone offers half-a-
VINEET MITTAL
trillion-dollar opportunity in different
ways. At 100 years of Independence,

| 20 | November 2024
COVER STORY

Members, NEC, IEEMA Past Presidents at the Annual Convention

India’s security as a nation is linked with energy promoting indigenous manufacturing to reduce
security. And for the first time, India has a solution reliance on imports.
where in the next two or three decades, we can run With a lot of companies going into non-
cars, buses and trucks from either water or batteries. performing assets (NPAs) in the past, there is a fear
India aims at becoming net-zero by 2070 and of unnecessary capex until the market is established.
has set ambitious targets for renewable energy – But now is the golden era and we are just taking off
500 GW non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030 and a and this is the time to invest. Top developers across
45-percent reduction in carbon intensity. In addition, the industry have already together committed 570
there is a 5-million tonne per annum green hydrogen GW of projects by 2030. We are already at 200 GW.
target, which translates into about 125-150 GW of We are looking at one of the biggest opportunities
solar and wind energy. So, essentially, it is a 625-GW on the solar addition side. Electrolyser is another
target on non-fossil fuels. area of opportunity. Developing a robust domestic
For the first time, the electrical industry is manufacturing ecosystem for solar modules,
compared with the Information Technology (IT) electrolysers, and other clean energy components
industry. Indian talent has unleashed its full potential is crucial.
across the world in areas of IT and software We have also been advocating with the
development. And in the next 30 years, India will be government to bring public-linked incentive (PLI) on
known for IT and energy transition. This is where we ancillary, PLI on wind, and a separate PLI for
will play an important role, creating a trillion-dollar- polysilicon.
opportunity. As a group, our vision is to implement 30 GW
While the 500-GW target may seem sceptical, solar panels by 2030 and 10 GW of cell manufacturing
there is no other solution, given there is no cheaper and 1 million tonne of green ammonia. We have
source of energy. Solar and wind together have the capital subsidy. We have the green power.
become a robust solution at Rs3.5 hybrid tariff. We have the interest subsidy. So, we can co-invest
Green power is not only environmentally in the equipment because we want to localise
friendly with an increased life span; it is also cheap. the ecosystem.
There is a huge opportunity to consider investing A small start-up like ours has this contracted
in all components. The clean energy transition capacity. So, our targets are real; opportunities are
presents immense opportunities for Indian true in its sense. Let us unleash our abundant
companies in manufacturing, project development, potential to not only create success stories for
and financing. The government is also actively ourselves but for the whole country.”

| 22 | November 2024
COVER STORY

PANEL DISCUSSION: HOW TO SCALE UP ORGANISATIONS

The panel on ‘How to Scale up Organisations’ was teenagers. We need to let go and make them
moderated by Siddharth Bhutoria, Wholetime independent. Scaling up itself is a natural process.
Director, RTS Power Corporation Limited. In his As an entrepreneur, if your own role in an organisation
opening remarks, he questioned, “Why is it necessary changes from doing everything to making it more
to scale up at all? Markets are booming, the power systematic and scalable, that’s the scalability we are
sector is doing better than it has done before, the talking about.
government is really conducive… So as an MSME, Prabir Jha: Stagnation means decay. Unless you
many-a-times the question: Why scale up at all?” innovate, unless you disrupt, you are ensuring
Panellists of the session included Rohit Pathak, stability for your corporation. And as an entrepreneur,
CEO, Birla Copper (Hindalco Industries Limited); your inability to scale up also impacts the dreams of
Prabir Jha, Founder CEO, People Advisory; and people around you. So, scaling up is like a moral duty
Vipul Ray, Managing Director, Elmex Controls you have as an entrepreneur. The most important
Private Limited. thing is the mindset. The unwillingness to let go is
the biggest issue along with not dreaming big
Evolution – A Natural Process enough. The definition of talent also becomes
Rohit Pathak: May be a better word than scale up is critical, and you have to reinvent yourself. The last is
“evolve”. Organisations must evolve to exist longer. about the cultural renovation of a startup. Culture
India is going through a phenomenal time – the 60s should be a moving definition, just like talent is a
saw the green revolution with agriculture, the 90s moving definition.
and early 2000s saw the IT revolution and services
revolution in hospitality and IT. We now have an Building More
opportunity for a manufacturing revolution that we Rohit Pathak: Three things you should be able to do
can take advantage of. As entrepreneurs, we are not if you want to change: 1. Diversify the people you
just running a company, we are also responsible for engage with and the inputs you get. 2. Enable your
the people working with us, and we owe to give them teams to take decisions – you tell them what you
the opportunity to be part of this growth that India expect but let them take decisions. 3. Realise that as
will see.” an entrepreneur, your main objective or role is to now
Vipul Ray: From an entrepreneurial point of view, inspire people, and through that inspiration you will
parallelly from a family perspective, we have create energy in the system.

Panel on ‘How to Scale up Organisations’

| 24 | November 2024
COVER STORY

Vipul Ray: Quality is also a journey. On the people quality of talent. So, visualise the talent we are
side, if there is trust and respect, it helps scalability. looking for.
Another important aspect of scaling up is that of If you want to play a different game and attract a
being an integrator. different breed of talent, your culture will have to be
Prabir Jha: ou must first realise your current naturally nurtured a little differently, which means,
area of competence and the area in which you would the soft aspects of culture such as decision rights,
like to build future capacity. If you want to be a deep delegation, command control, letting go, respect
single product, you should not be distracted by for people, respect for individual, celebrating
another. It is a conscious, strategic choice. It applies collaboration, must be nurtured. So, the question:
to products, portfolios, markets, geographies, etc. It How do you go beyond rewarding only for business
should be a conscious choice – of one product but or financial performance to celebrating the softer
going global, or, going deep in that product line, or, aspects? How will you assimilate or acculture new
building a basket of products but continuing to play talent into your organisation? People hire for culture
in a market that is more focused. The classical rule fit we need to hire for culture plus because it will
is clear – unless you dominate either by product or also keep your gene pool much active. It is not only
your whole market, there is no question of either about going large, but going right. Once you are
building more products or building a wider clear about what you want to do, you must be willing
geography. The important thing, therefore, is you to flex.
must be clear about where you want to play. Rohit Pathak: When you think of evolution, one is
Vipul Ray: One thing we must learn to manage as scale – you can just build scale and go global, go
entrepreneurs is partnerships, especially as we go large. The second is diversification – and
global. And, that can help the scalability diversification need not be just new products, it
internationally. Geographically, our experience could be moving into solutions or services. Third is
shows that the products or markets where we do going deep and into perfection or precision in the
some value-add engineering make sense to us. So, if particular area. So, the focus on quality to really
we are able to bring some engineering or build something unique.
customisation to a product line for a particular An important element is to realise your role. If
geography, it works better. you are an entrepreneur, be an entrepreneur; don’t try
and become a manager or controller or auditor. Now
The Power of Visualising an entrepreneur actually brings the gut feel to the
Prabir Jha: A new-age problem will need a different table and you will build your gut feeling to spot new
way to look at and be treated. For scaling up, you opportunities. ou then have to figure out how to
will possibly need a different quality of leadership build your ability to take decisions that are counter
and different quality of talent beyond pairs of intuitive. So, the temptation to become a manager
hands. Often, scale up is assumed to be growing from an entrepreneur is what you must reverse in your
from X number of people to Y number of people. evolution in the company, and the rest will follow.
But it should ideally be more about scaling up the Time to brace up and scale up, now!

| 26 | November 2024
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SPECIAL REPORT

Milestone: Renewable Energy

Capacity Hits 200 GW in India
Renewable energy now constitutes 46.3% of the country’s total capacity,
reflecting a major shift in India’s energy landscape

I
ndia has reached a significant milestone in its
renewable energy (RE) journey, with the country’s
total RE capacity crossing the 200-gigawatt (GW)
mark as on October 10, 2024. According to the
Central Electricity Authority (CEA), the total RE-based
electricity generation capacity now stands at
201.45 GW. This achievement underscores the
country’s growing commitment to clean energy and
its progress in building a greener future.
This milestone reflects the years of dedicated
efforts to harness India’s natural resources.
From sprawling solar parks to wind farms
and hydroelectric projects, the country
has steadily built a diverse RE base.
These initiatives have not only reduced
reliance on fossil fuels but also
strengthened the country’s energy
security. When factoring in the
8,180-megawatt (MW) of nuclear capacity, Biopower, including
the total non-fossil fuel-based power now biomass and biogas
accounts for almost half of the country’s energy, adds
installed electricity generation capacity, signalling a another 11. 2 GW
strong move towards clean energy leadership on the to the RE mix.
global stage. These bioenergy
projects are vital
Overview: India’s RE Landscape for utilising
India’s total electricity generation capacity has agricultural waste
reached 452.6 GW, with RE contributing a and other organic
significant portion of the overall power mix. As of materials to generate
October 2024, RE-based electricity generation power, further diversifying
capacity stands at 201.45 GW, accounting for India’s clean energy sources. Together, these
46. percent of the country’s total installed capacity. renewable resources are helping the country reduce
This marks a major shift in the country’s energy its dependence on traditional fossil fuels while
landscape, reflecting its growing reliance on cleaner, driving progress toward a more sustainable and
non-fossil fuel-based energy sources. resilient energy future.
A variety of RE resources contribute to this
impressive figure. Solar power leads the way with States Leading in RE Capacity
0. 6 GW, playing a crucial role in India’s efforts to Several states in India have emerged as leaders
harness its abundant sunlight. Wind power follows in RE capacity, contributing significantly to the
closely with 4 . 6 GW, driven by the vast potential of county’s progress. Rajasthan tops the list with an
the coastal and inland wind corridors across the impressive 2 . 8 GW of installed RE capacity,
country. Hydroelectric power is another key benefiting from its vast land and abundant sunlight.
contributor, with large hydro projects generating Following closely is Gujarat, which boasts a capacity
46. 2 GW and small hydro power adding 5.0 GW, of 2 .52 GW, driven by its strong focus on solar and
offering a reliable and sustainable source of energy wind energy projects. Tamil Nadu ranks third with
from India’s rivers and water systems. 2 . 0 GW, leveraging its favourable wind patterns to

| 28 | November 2024
SPECIAL REPORT

Source: https://npp.gov.in/dashBoard/cp-map-dashboard Source: PIB

generate substantial energy. Karnataka rounds out 500 GW of installed electric capacity from non-fossil
the top four with a capacity of 22. GW, supported sources by 20 0. Key programmes include the
by a mix of solar and wind initiatives. Together, these National Green Hydrogen Mission, PM-KUSUM,
states play a crucial role in advancing India’s PM Surya Ghar, and public-linked incentive (PLI)
renewable energy goals and establishing a more schemes for solar photovoltaic (PV) modules.
sustainable energy future. These efforts reflect the government’s
commitment to fostering a sustainable energy future
Key Schemes and Programmes while addressing the challenges posed by climate
The Government of India (GoI) has implemented change and energy security.
a range of measures and initiatives aimed at
promoting and accelerating RE capacities across Building a Greener Economy
the country, with an ambitious target of achieving In conclusion, India’s RE journey has reached a
significant milestone, marked by the impressive
achievement of more than 200 GW of installed
capacity. This accomplishment is a testament to the
country’s commitment to a sustainable energy
future, driven by a diverse array of renewable
sources, including solar, wind, hydro, and bioenergy.
Proactive initiatives such as the National Green
Hydrogen Mission, PM-KUSUM, PM Surya Ghar and
PLI schemes for solar PV modules underscore the
government’s strategic focus on enhancing energy
generation capacity while reducing reliance on fossil
fuels. With ambitious targets set for the future,
including a goal of 500 GW from non-fossil sources
by 20 0, India is well-positioned to emerge as a
global leader in RE, contributing to environmental
sustainability and energy security. These ongoing
efforts reflect a holistic approach to building a
greener economy, ensuring that India not only meets
its energy needs but also addresses the
pressing challenges of climate change and
Source: https://npp.gov.in/dashBoard/cp-map-dashboard resource conservation.

| 32 | November 2024
FOCUS

“There will be no transition

without transmission of power.”
- RK Tyagi, Chairman & Managing Director, POWERGRID

A
s we move towards a cleaner and more
sustainable energy future, the role of
transmission infrastructure has become even
more critical. POWERGRID, the country’s largest
transmission utility, has been at the forefront of this
transformation. Under the visionary leadership of its
Chairman & Managing Director, Shri RK Tyagi,
POWERGRID has actively enabled the integration of
renewable energy (RE) into the national grid – a key
step in our journey towards a sustainable energy future.
A leader who has been instrumental in shaping
India’s power sector, Shri Tyagi has handled various
power grid businesses most effectively. Notably,
POWERGRID transmits more than 45 percent of the
country’s power. It has a network of more than
175,000 odd circuit km with over 270 substations
and a transformation capacity of more than
495,000 megavolt ampere (MVA). At the recently
held Industry Conclave by IEEMA in New Delhi, Shri
Tyagi spoke to a power-packed house of
audience on strengthening transmission
infrastructure.

Highlights from his speech:

All-electric future: We currently

import almost 15 lakh crore oil,
gas and fossil fuels from outside
India. Natural calamities
have increased in the recent
past, affecting our lives
and damaging our infra.
Global temperature too is
increasing. We must go for
an all-electric future.
All forms of energy
must ultimately go to RE,
which is plenty in India.
If we find a way to harness
this or convert all forms
of energy or make use of
green energy, India will not
have to depend on another
country for energy security.
With our country striding
forward on the path of
economic growth and

| 36 | November 2024
FOCUS

energy transition, the role of power transmission has 2030 and almost 900 GW by 2032. For 900 GW, we
never been more vital. There will be no transition will require more than 10 lakh MVA capacity in the
without transmission of power. next six to seven years. The current capacity in India
is, however, not adequate or su cient. I request all
Strengthening future energy: Integrating RE into the IEEMA members to go for capacity augmentation.
power grid presents several challenges, primarily
due to the inherent variability and intermittency of Driving enhancements: The growing demand for
sources such as solar and wind. These fluctuations electricity has driven substantial enhancements in
can lead to instability in the grid, making it di cult our transmission network. This time, peak electricity
to maintain a consistent power supply. demand has increased to about 250 GW and will
Another challenge is that RE resources in India only increase by the day. In the past one year, there
are mainly in Gujarat, Rajasthan and the Western have been cases of three to four outages of
and Southern parts of the country. Power needs to 4,000-5,000 MW and even almost 7,000 MW.
be transmitted from one corner of the country to HVDC will also play an important role. We have
another. For RE too, grid instability becomes an already planned several transmission networks. The
issue, and we must work in this direction. requirements of HVDC and HVC STATCOMs for
Our power grid is robust. Our backbone renewable integration will increase, going forward.
transmission network is one of the strongest grids As leading manufacturers of power systems,
in the world. Hence, India can smoothly integrate RE. I urge that we develop and manufacture these
Power transmission facilitates the necessary advanced technologies in India. We must not depend
infrastructure to evacuate power from Gujarat, on countries outside India. Currently, much of the
Rajasthan and RE-rich states. equipment for HVDC and dynamic reactive
Su cient transmission capacities and advanced compensations are imported, making us vulnerable
technologies such as high voltage direct current to global supply chain disruptions. Our cost will
(HVDC) and dynamic reactive compensation such increase and our availability of equipment will be
as static var compensator (SVC) and static affected if we continue depending on companies
synchronous compensator (STATCOM) are essential outside India. Building domestic capabilities in
for maintaining grid stability. By continuously these areas will not only enhance our energy security
expanding and modernising the transmission but also create economic opportunities and drive
network, we can expand the grid capacity to absorb innovation in the country.
large scale RE, thus supporting India’s transition to a
sustainable energy future. Upgrading lines: As India’s energy demands continue
We plan to have 500 GW RE installed capacity to rise, we will have to go for 1,200 kV. The power
and more than 800 GW total installed capacity by grid already has a 1,200 kV transmission line from

November 2024 | 37 |
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Wardha-to-Aurangabad currently charged at 400 kV; Our efforts are beyond national borders; we already
discussions are on to convert this to 1,200 kV. I urge have transmission systems with Bhutan, Nepal and
all Indian manufacturers to support the government Bangladesh and are now talking about Myanmar,
in upgrading this 400 kV line to 1,200 kV. Accordingly, Sri Lanka, Singapore and the Middle East countries.
we can plan more 1,200 kV transmission lines. So, under one Sun, one world, one grid, there are
That said, there are challenges in power opportunities for international transmission systems
transmission, including extreme weather events as well. This can be possible only by indigenisation
around the country. We must mitigate this risk. of facilities such as HVDC, STATCOMs, HVCs,
We are increasingly relying on advanced technologies transformers, subsea cables, among others.
such as emergency restoration systems, which Most important will be the use of digitalisation
enable rapid restoration of power after an event. and automation.
Our phasor measurement unit (PMU)-based
Overcoming challenges: Right of way (RoW) is another power monitoring system has proved to be useful.
big concern, and hence, constructing or developing We need to go for more grid monitoring systems.
transmission networks will be a challenge. Unless We also need to develop more facilities for
the government or state governments help gas-insulated switchgear (GIS).
transmission system developers, transmission
networks will not easily be developed. On June 14, Opportunities galore: We also have significant
the GoI has already come out with a policy on RoW opportunities for further evolving statutory
with a circle rate. approval processes to ensure faster execution
Indigenisation is another important concern. and smooth connectivity to the grid.
The rate of transformers has increased more than Building capacities and skill development is also
2x in five to six years. This needs to be contained important in each area – be it transmission systems,
and regulated. transformers, GIS or any part of any segment of
I request manufactures to augment this transmission network. The outlook for
manufacturing facilities, given that energy demand power transmission in India is challenging
is continuously increasing. We will require physical as well as promising.
facilities to be developed – be it manufacturing As we continue to expand and modernise
facilities, transmission networks, generations, our grid, integrate RE and meet the growing
among others. We will also require skilled manpower. energy demands of our country, the transmission
In line with this, we have recently set up two skill sector will play a central role in ensuring that
development centres. India’s energy future is secure, sustainable, and
resilient. With the right policies, investments,
Digitalisation and automation: The role of power innovations and a collaborative approach, we can
transmission in India is evolving for enabling energy achieve our goals and continue to lead the world in
transition. POWERGRID has been playing an energy transition. Let us work towards a future
important role in the development of green energy where every corner of India has access to reliable,
corridors, which are crucial for RE integration. clean, and affordable power.

| 40 | November 2024
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INSIGHT

Vibration Monitoring of
Power Transformers
Discussing the gradual generation of vibration and noise levels and
methods to measure and control them...

A
power transformer has increasingly higher Introduction
requirements for its reliability and safety. Power transformers can have five types of faults
Vibrations and noise generated during its Winding faults, iron core faults, tap switch faults,
operations cause a series of issues such as loose insulation faults, and cooling equipment faults.
windings, core wear, and fatigue of fasteners. It also Internal and external factors cause these faults to
leads to anxiety and unease among nearby residents. occur. Internal factors include defects in equipment
It is essential that generation and transmission components, equipment aging, long-term vibration
companies exercise control measures of vibration and noise during operation, and local overheating.
and noise in power transformers. The Magneto External factors include changes in temperature
strictive effect of silicon steel sheets is one of the and humidity and the Ferranti effect in the power
important factors causing transformer vibration and grid causing excessive voltage in the secondary
noise. This paper discusses the gradual generation winding of the power transformer, resulting in
of vibration and noise levels and methods to measure damage. High voltage due to the Ferranti effect is
and control them. normally controlled by placing shunt reactors at the
receiving end of lines. A shunt reactor is an inductive
Keywords: Vibration measurement, vibration current element connected between the line and
analysis, vibration analyser, vibration FFT spectrum neutral to compensate the capacitive current from

| 42 | November 2024
transmission lines. When this effect occurs in long power transformer is formed by stacking and
transmission lines, shunt reactors compensate for assembling well-cut silicon steel plates on a core
the capacitive VAR of lines, and thus, the voltage is stacking table. Using the advanced lamination
regulated within prescribed limits. Shunt reactors method along with applying weft-free adhesive tape
are also like transformers in construction to an for winding production causes primary vibration in
extent. The discussions about vibrations in a the transformer with the Magneto strictive effect of
transformer also applies to shunt reactors. silicon steel sheets. Vibrations due to the Magneto
strictive elongation of silicon steels occur at 50 Hz,
Vibration Generation in a Power Transformer also creating other frequencies.
The vibration and noise of transformers are mainly Faults caused by long-term vibration of the
caused by the vibration of iron core, which is induced transformer include
by the Maxwell force at joint sheets and the Magneto • Loose windings
strictive effect of silicon steel sheets. This apart, • Core wear
there are insulation aging and degradation, also • Fatigue of fasteners
contributing to vibrations. • Explosion of casing
Windings carry a huge amount of current and • Localised overheating
experience forces of attraction and repulsion. These • Insulation aging
are repetitive in nature and repeat at supply • Winding faults
frequency (50 Hz in India). Insulations wrapped • Core faults
around copper bars age with time and decrease in • Tap changer faults
thickness, allowing more vibration of bars. These • Faults of lead wires and bushings
vibrations occur at 100 Hz (the vibration analysis • Insulation faults in transformer core
rule of generation of second harmonic for looseness). Hence, it is essential to monitor vibrations and
Let us now look at the Magneto strictive effect. find ways to mitigate the same.
This is responsible for the humming sound from the
transformer. In the absence of an external magnetic Vibration measurement and control measures
field, magnetic domains within the magnetic material This is carried out by using a portable vibration
are randomly arranged. However, when the magnetic analyser instrument such as the one shown in
material is subjected to an external magnetic field, Figure 1. The measurement unit is normally chosen
most internal magnetic domains align in the same as Velocity RMS in millimetre per second (mm/s) or
direction due to the magnetic field. The core of a inch per second (inch/s). This is as per ISO10816.

Figure 1: Vibration analyser VB7

November 2024 | 43 |
INSIGHT

Figure 2: Vibration monitor model 8800 API670 compliant

However, in some special cases, vibration is Unfortunately, simple literature and rules to
measured and recorded in displacements units as relate frequency with an internal problem is not
microns or thousandth of an inch (MILs). available. One can look at a research paper of
Using a portable instrument while the transformer great depth to get some answers. Measurements
is live comes with its own risk. One can also use and thinking will help develop this skill.
fixing accelerometers at key points on the
transformer body and use an online protection References
monitor such as shown in Figure 2. Cables from • IRD Mechanalysis CAT II Training manual.
vibration sensors to nearby junction boxes need to • A Review of Power Transformer Vibration and
be Teflon within the stainless steel (SS) conduit. Noise Caused by Silicon Steel Magnetostriction
Also, the cable must be shielded as the leakage by ikai Fang, hihao e and Cheng Chen.
magnetic field in the vicinity of a transformer will be School of Electrical Engineering, Naval University
of substantial nature. of Engineering, Wuhan 4 00 , China.
An acceptable vibration level would be about • Transformer Monitoring by using Vibration
2.8 mm/s (rms). When in the range of 2.8-4.5 mm/s Analysis by Mehdi Nafar, Bahman Bahmanifirou i
(rms), it can be considered a problem, causing and Masoud Jabbari. Department of Electrical
excessive vibration. A fast fourier tranform (FFT) Engineering, Marvdasht Branch, Islamic Azad
spectrum will identify frequencies present. University, Marvdasht, Iran.
The spectrum can be stored and trended. One can
consider tightening of external nuts and bolts and
see the effect. AUTHOR
Vibration measurement will unlock experiences
and insights for better managing vibration on power Murari P Srivastava,
transformers. The humming sound can be measured Managing Director,
using a noise metre in all four directions at a distance IRD Mechanalysis Limited,
and the direction of the metre, which must be has more than three
repeated in the subsequent measurement. decades of experience in
the vibration condition
monitoring area. He is
Conclusions Level 5-trained in vibration
• It is advised to have a measurement system for analysis by the erstwhile
noise and vibration on power transformers. IRD Mechanalysis Inc
• It is also advised to keep readings and look USA and has conducted
at trends. more than 200 training
• FFT spectrum frequency components need to be programmes in vibration
looked at and an attempt must be made to relate analysis and maintenance
vibration frequency with the possible problem. management.

| 44 | November 2024
 RURAL
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SPECIAL REPORT

T S
O R
G X P
T I N E
O S
B O IEEMA JOURNAL identifies avenues
to expand the global reach of Indian
electrical and electronics products
and services.

T
he Indian electrical industry is characterised markets. Says Ganesh Srinivasan, President (T&D),
by a strong, diversified, and mature KEC International, “In the past two to three years,
manufacturing base and robust supply chain it has almost doubled, particularly driven by a strong
with state-of-the-art technologies in most subsectors Middle East market. As India is going through an
and high power with global standards. energy transition, so are several other countries in
Through this report, IEEMA JOURNAL delves into the world – Australia, the US, the Middle East.
opportunities of identifying avenues to expand the Globally, T&D infrastructure is seeing a boost.
global reach of Indian electrical and electronics We do see ourselves as a vehicle through which
products and services. original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and
At the recently held Industry Conclave in Delhi, Indian manufacturers can boost exports.”
Gaurav Moda, Energy Lead, EY, set the context for Similar to the trend seen in India, globally too,
discussion focusing on three main questions: there is a shift from regulated fixed equity return to
1. What makes top Indian companies tariff-based competitive bidding, where design and
competitive globally? risk go hand in hand. “This is the kind of investment
2. What challenges do micro small and medium in design KEC made in the past two to three years,”
enterprises (MSMEs) face in the export journey says Srinivasan. “We went through a world-class
and how can these be overcome? engineering programme, which allowed us to
3. How is the government supporting export growth optimise, and helped us not only in India but
for both, large and mid-sized companies? internationally as well.”
The second aspect he shares is the ecosystem.
Growing to Build “We have invested in our capacities in India. We have
Notably, 50 percent of KEC’s turnover in transmission expanded our factories. We have tower
and distribution (T&D) comes from the overseas manufacturing capacities in three cities in the

| 46 | November 2024
 GAURAV MODA

GANESH SRINIVASAN
VINAMRA AGARWAL

Managing Director,
R R Kabel. He shares
that the general perception
is that B2B products do not
require branding or marketing,
but this is wrong. “The entire
SUKET SINGHAL business model must be
sustainable.”
He adds that in 25 years, R R Kabel is the
third-largest wire and cable company in India and
the largest wire and cable exporter with a presence
in 5 countries. Notably, it was also among the first
companies to receive VD approval and the first
company in the country to produce low-smoke
zero-resin wires that are safe.
SHREEGOPAL KABRA “Safety, quality, and marketing are required to
make a world-class product,” Kabra highlights.
country – Nagpur, Jabalpur, Jaipur – and have “Be it any sector, it is crucial that we do not spoil the
expanded these, and are also investing in a cable country’s name. Provide commitment, trust, timely
manufacturing unit in Baroda.” delivery in businesses – these are essential.”
The third aspect Srinivasan highlights is the He also suggests that to begin with exports,
human dimension. “We are working in more than MSMEs can connect with good merchant exporters,
40 countries, and today, have employees from visit exhibitions to establish new connections and
35 different nationalities. Being successful in combine and collaborate.
exports requires us to, in a way, become a local “The government should also incentivise special
company in these markets, which is not possible or export incentives to companies that are creating
without investing in HR systems or talents in their own brands globally,” adds Kabra. “This apart,
these countries.” India should follow the global standard, especially
He emphasises on investing in design, taking the the European standards, given their focus on quality
ecosystem along, and building cross-cultural and their standards widely accepted across the globe.”
capabilities to really be global.
R&D and Investments
Market-driven Secure Meters represents the new technology in
“A company should strive to be market-driven and metering. As Suket Singhal, Group CEO, says, “If you
not sales-driven,” highlights Shreegopal Kabra, want a strong global base, you must have products

November 2024 | 47 |
SPECIAL REPORT

“Together, we need to build the best electrical

equipment domain across the globe.”
- Shri Vimal Anand, Joint Secretary,
Ministry of Commerce
In response to events such as environmental
protection and global warming, the energy system
has gradually changed from mainly fossil energy
to new energy represented by wind, solar, biomass
energy, among others. India stands committed to
reduce emissions.
I am confident that the Indian electrical and
electronics industry is fully geared for the evolution
and shift towards sustainability. World over,
equipment and equipment manufacturing
technologies are witnessing significant
modernisation while new technologies are also
being adopted in the manufacturing processes.
Technological advances, advancements, and
policies on emission reduction will influence the
future. Indian manufacturers also need to focus on
product innovation technology, R&D, packaging and

I
ndia has come a long way in electrical equipment cost competitiveness.
manufacturing. The country manufactures a large Together, we need to build the best
variety of electrical equipment and exports a wide electrical equipment domain across the globe.
area of equipment – from inverters to transformers, The Government of India (GoI) has undergone a
cables to metres. Our metres have evolved into significant transformation in its outlook towards
complex smart solutions, which are one of the best global trade in recent years. The government has
in the world. The sector has seen an increase in set an ambitious target to achieve US$ 2 trillion in
exports at a 10 percent CAGR in last five years. exports by 2030 with an equal share of merchandise
Despite the changes and challenges world and services of 1 trillion each.
over, the Indian electrical industry is on the The GoI has effective trade policy measures such
path of positive growth, says Shri Vimal Anand, as free trade agreements (FTAs) that could forge
Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce. He shares cornerstones. Work is in progress on an agreement
more on how the Indian electrical and electronics with the EU. The GoI has also taken initiatives such
industry is gearing for the shift towards sustainability as the revamped distribution sector scheme (RDSS)
and what needs to be done to shift our exports focus and PM Surya Ghar Yojana to help discoms improve
to globally-demanded products. operational e ciencies and financial sustainability.
“Today, the size of the Indian electrical industry We also need to shift our exports focus from
stands at US$ 70 billion and it employs 2.2 million a supply-based approach to products that are
people across the entire value chain. The import- globally demanded.
export ratio is almost equal with US$ 12 billion of While India has made remarkable progress
imports and US$ 12.4 billion of exports. I’d like to in the recent past, the task ahead for it is to be a
see it grow steadily and swiftly. driver of global economic growth. For this, I urge
The industry not only serves the country’s power IEEMA to facilitate and work towards mapping
infrastructure but also the Indian Railways, metros, high-priority products with international geographies
smart cities, urban and rural household sectors. It in consultation with the industry to promote exports.
currently constitutes 45 percent of the capital goods There is also a pressing need to brainstorm and
industry in the country. Today, the world is looking at find solutions to supply chain constraints, so
India with keen interest and has high expectations that IEEMA and its industry are able to attain the
from us. In turn, we have full confidence in Indian ambitious target of US$ 125 billion from the current
entrepreneurship and in the competence and ability US$ 70 billion by 2030 and achieve US$ 25 billion
to deal with changes in the world. exports by doubling up the current results.”

| 48 | November 2024
The panel at IEEMA’s Industry Conclave in Delhi

that the world wants, not the products you want to performed as well as they should. Among the
sell to the world. There is a big difference between reasons for this is the product quality.”
both. This is a significant challenge, and it needs a He adds that electrically, our products are
lot of research and development (R&D) and perhaps the finest in the world. But the mechanical
investment.” He goes on to add that, “unless you aspects, finishes, leakages, among others, are where
invest in R&D, you do not actually have a long-term we have a lot of catching up to do.
sustainable product portfolio.” This essentially involves three things,
The second aspect he points to is investing in sums up Agarwal:
customer service levels. “Every country or every 1. Constancy of following a process-based
customer has a different expectation or different approach.
standard of customer service levels. When you go 2. Investing in people and making sure they follow
overseas, that is where world-class customer service the right approach, and ultimately, that the vision
levels come to the fore. It is essential to make your of what you want to do as a company flows
company capable of this.” from the top.
The third important aspect is the choice of 3. The product or technology or inputs – We must
work at enhancing the average level of quality
channel partner, which is incredibly important when
that our factory produces. It is important we
you go overseas, points Singhal. “Fourth is building
consciously work at elevating this.
and investing in the team.”
The world is booming. India is booming.
There is constant order-book inflow, and hence,
Lessons Learnt no threat of survival,” shares Agarwal. He requests
Technical Associates, a 55-year-old company that the government to support the industry in terms of
manufactures large power transformers, believes to allowing it to scale.
have just begun its exports journey. “The domestic industry is our home ground,
Vinamra Agarwal, Director, Technical Associates, our playground – this is where can make mistakes
shares what the company has learned along its way. with lower costs and also learn. So, if we can have a
“An important point to note is that component level-playing field and a much simpler business
manufacturers of transformers have been far more environment in India, where Indian enterprises are
successful in global markets than transformer allowed to scale and build technologies, the world is
manufacturers per se. Indian products have not waiting for us with open arms.” Indeed!

November 2024 | 49 |
INTERACTION

“We need to believe in

the India long-term
story and start
investing now.”
- Sunil Mathur,
Managing Director & CEO,
Siemens Limited

T
hrough this interaction, we discuss
digitalisation and innovation in manufacturing.
Sunil Mathur, Managing Director & CEO,
Siemens Limited, in conversation with Rohit Pathak,
IEEMA Past President and CEO, Birla Copper,
shares more…

Rohit Pathak: We are seeing big shifts happening

globally both, in the economic and energy fronts.
Given your role on the global leadership team
of Siemens, I’m sure you are seeing this
global landscape closely. Can you share
trends in the global energy landscape?
Sunil Mathur: We are witnessing a global
shift, and India is in a great position to
witness this growth. Global GDP is
expected to grow by 3.2 percent in 2024
and 3.3 percent in 2025, which although
is not too much, 45% of this growth
notably comes from India and China
together. Not too many economies
around the world are growing at the
rate we are.
Five globally apparent trends
that are coming to India even
faster than other parts of the
world are:
1. Technological introduction
2. Sustainability
3. Supply chain resilience
4. Energy security
5. Changing business
models of
consumers.

| 50 | November 2024
 The difference is that India is a largely early solar installations, among others… But with the
cost-sensitive market. But if we can make it work in recent happenings, do you see this push on
India, it will work anywhere in the world. sustainability slowing down in Europe?
In India, we are seeing a boost to private Sunil Mathur: Sustainability and decarbonisation are
manufacturing with the production-linked incentive here to stay. In Europe or the US, it will form the basis
(PLI) scheme. We are seeing data centres, batteries, of everything they do. It has slowed down a bit, partly
semiconductors, photovoltaic (PV), among others – because of the Russia conflict and because of
all related to national energy security. supply chain crisis. According to me, it may take
The government had earlier announced its plan time to build supply chains as Europe has been
of increasing the manufacturing share of GDP from heavily dependent on China in the past.
15 percent to 25 percent. To achieve this, based on Here, India is learning from it and trying to be
simple calculations, to contribute US$ 750 billion to independent. While we are dependent on China, we
GDP, we need to at least do double of it in capex. are also parallelly developing our own resources
And, this has already started. The Railways are and own supply chains. Imagine the opportunity if
spending, data centres are spending. When we look India is able to take 20-25 percent of what’s going
at US$ 1.5 trillion of capex coming into the system, from China to Europe and if we are able to build
not too many countries worldwide are spending this that capacity above the strong demand we already
much, partly because they are already higher up on have in India. We have a lot of work to do here. For a
the development curve. With such a capex coming company to come to India, they need reliable power
in, international players want to start manufacturing supply, reliable logistics, and a reliable supply chain.
in India. And how? Digitalisation! Now the question is: Do we really believe in the
Through digitilisation, we are able to reach a India story? At Siemens, we do. We continue to add
productivity level of 99.99 percent. We have a factory capacities because we see that there is no other part
in Germany that produces programmable logic of the world that is growing at this rate. And to grow
controllers (PLCs) at a productivity and e ciency from 15 percent to 25 percent GDP, energy will be
level of . percent the average e ciency level in fundamental. Hence, our focus will be on expanding
India is 75 percent. We cannot meet this 25 percent capacities in the entire generation, transmission,
gap through labour; we need technology for it. and distribution space.
The only way we can be competitive in the global In the past year, we have seen several Indian
environment is through digitalisation – the Internet, companies beginning to make investments. If we do
connectivity, energy, and data centres. invest, it will drive us forward. The top seven
business houses in India have announced
Rohit Pathak: Europe was the leader driving the investments of Rs250,000 crore in the next five
change for all these developments – sustainability, years, for which the tendering process is about to

November 2024 | 51 |
INTERACTION

Then put these sensors to

10 machines and get data from
10 different machines; here comes
the realisation that there is an
optimisation possibility in each
machine. We then start
close-looping these 10 machines to
see if we can optimise them not
only machine by machine, but
collectively as well. We then bring
this data onto a dashboard and
start tweaking it. It is all about the
transparency of data we can get
from the dashboard. Translating
this into the energy environment,
In conversation: Rohit Pathak and Sunil Mathur we bring in energy e ciency
and so on.
begin. We must be ahead of the curve, and this will At Siemens, we control energy and water
reflect our belief in the India story. utilisation of 1, 00 of our o ces in 0 countries out
of a central command and control centre in Mumbai.
Rohit Pathak: Moving on to manufacturing in India, We can drill down to a pump, valve, or motor in a
how big do you think is the opportunity of digitisation factory, to know if it is leaking. We can compare why
in the manufacturing sector? You have a plant in an o ce in Norway having 50 people is consuming
India that is high-tech…can you share learnings more electricity than an o ce in Australia having
from it and what has helped make it happen? 50 people as well. We can translate this
Sunil Mathur: Let me share an example of our philosophy into an industry – that is the power
plant in Mumbai, where we manufacture contactors of digitalisation.
and were doing 80 variants of contactors on
three production lines. We needed to bring in new
variants of contactors; and every time we wanted India is the software centre and
a new variant, we needed a new production line.
So, we decided to try digitalisation. We went from aspires to be the manufacturing
80 variants on three production lines to 180 variants centre of the world. If we can bring
on one production line; from 13 quality checks to
52 quality checks; from 21 seconds cycle time to these together, no one can beat us.
nine seconds cycle time. It immediately opened up
a complete export market. We were able to produce Rohit Pathak: As we look at India and the
five times more with the same workforce, with less 300-400 GW to be built in the next 8-10 years,
equipment, with less space. how do you see this opportunity and the areas which
Let’s multiply this philosophy with 60 million India can leapfrog?
small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the country Sunil Mathur: We need to believe in the India
who are strapped for cash, for cost, for capex. If they long-term story and start investing now. If we want
can produce more with less through digitalisation, to move manufacturing forward, it will come with
this is exactly what the Indian industry is good at. infrastructure. Let’s consider the Railways –
We are the software centre of the world and, we 5 percent of it is already electrified and 6,000 km
aspire to be the manufacturing centre of the world. of the country’s railway network has been electrified
If we can bring them together, no one can beat us. in the past seven years. This is equivalent to the
entire network of Germany, which is still not
Rohit Pathak: But digitilisation is something most of electrified. So, the scale at which we are
us still struggle with. So what made this happen? operating is completely different. We must
What did you or your leadership team do to bring start investing now and ensure we are ahead of
this to life? the curve.
Sunil Mathur: It is simply getting transparency about Several companies internationally are looking at
how e cient each one of our machines are. manufacturing in India for their global requirements,
Put a sensor in the machine with a communication including Siemens. We need to gear up the supply
device, back it up to a dashboard, and see how chain to ensure we can meet Indian requirements
e cient that individual machine is running. first and then move to international requirements.

| 52 | November 2024
Rohit Pathak: How do you see opportunities in the renewables into the system, there will be variations
coming years in offshore wind, green hydrogen in the grid. So, we will have to step up our pace in the
and energy storage? entire grid management system.
Sunil Mathur: In terms of timeline, I think energy
storage is just around the corner. It is imperative for Rohit Pathak: Given your experience in this industry,
the country’s energy requirements and the different what would be your top two or three suggestions to
technologies in this direction are fairly advanced. micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs)?
In India, for offshore wind to take off the way it Sunil Mathur: First, talk to your customer – find out
has in Europe and other countries, we will need where your customers are moving, where their plans
different designs of turbines, among others, are headed. Customers’ needs are changing. We are
to manage low wind. moving from a capex to an opex model. We are
Coming to green hydrogen, technologies are moving towards a service activity. Utilities are
available. We have the proton exchange membrane moving in this direction as well and this will move
(PEM) technology, which is more expensive with a down to the entire supply chain. So, firstly, we will
higher e ciency level, and alkaline technology, have to move away from only supplying products.
which is cheaper but with a much lower e ciency We will have to make ourselves aware of major
level. I don’t think the technology is currently at the problems hitting customers and address these.
maturity level to become commercially viable here. We need to move to solution-providing with
But it is an absolute opportunity for India to export in technology knowhow as the base and then provide
the future, in about 5-10 years. solutions to recurring problems that
customers have.
Rohit Pathak: As we see Artificial Intelligence (AI) Second is innovation. This does not have to be
increasing, the amount of energy it will require will research and development (R&D) in materials, but
be huge. At least until now, the power intensity of
this has not shown in the scale at which it will play
out. Do you see this as a big opportunity for us to As we get more towards smart
innovate better and do a lot more?
Sunil Mathur: Absolutely. As we bring more AI, more
manufacturing, smart infrastructure
data centres will come in and we will need stronger and more renewables into the
network systems. Energy will be critical to meet this
requirement, and hence, the demand for energy will
system, there will be variations in
boom. Link that to renewables coming in, we will the grid. We will have to step up our
need a stable grid. We will need to move towards
more autonomous grids.
pace in the entire grid
Weather conditions are changing at a pace faster management system.
than they have been in the past. We will not have the
cycle time to make adjustments to the grid due to
variations. So, new technologies will have to come really collaboration with IEEMA and the academia in
into the system. We will have to make the grid the country and out of the country. We have the
smarter. Eventually, the grids will move to becoming capability and the know-how as an industry; all we
completely autonomous as well. need is broadened minds, which academia can help
us with and we can acquire from international
Rohit Pathak: We are all proud that India has the players as well.
largest single grid. With so many new variables Third is digitalisation. There is no other alternative
coming in now, do you see enough intelligence and but to get into every single business using latest
ongoing efforts to ensure that this remains as technologies of digitalisation. And, this is not
reliable? Because the problem of a single grid is that expensive; the return on investment (RoI) a maximum
if you do not plan for it, you can compromise on the of one to three years. For an MSME, the critical
entire country’s network, right? factor is: Can we produce more with less?
Sunil Mathur: I think the government is largely aware That’s what digitalisation can help one do.
of it, given everyone’s talking about a secure energy The other big impact: We will attract people
grid. We have also begun to take steps in this with a different skillset in the industry to drive
direction. The question is: Can we keep pace with digitalisation. This will add value for companies
the growth of the country with a 7-8 percent GDP in terms of getting talent and diversity. So, we
coming up? The pressure on the grid will increase have the knowhow of technology and now of
every day. As we get more towards smart software; the challenge is bringing both together to
manufacturing, smart infrastructure and more make magic.

November 2024 | 53 |
INSIGHT

The Power
of Bonding!
Delving into the concept of bonding and earthing power
cables, with a special emphasis on XLPE cables...
ABSTRACT: Power-system growth in the present era negligibly susceptible to outages due to
highly depends on the network laid for power cables, atmospheric conditions like lightening, hurricane,
given it has become di cult for utilities to find right cyclones, typhoons, among others.
of way (RoW) for overhead transmission lines, • Ha ard to wildlife UG cables generally pose no
especially in metro cities. Currently, the most popular ha ard to wildlife as compared to overhead
cable being used is cross-linked polyethylene ( LPE) network [1].
insulation material. • Dielectric-loss factor of LPE cables is also less
compared to paper insulated and polyvinyl

E
arthing or bonding of metallic sheaths is chloride (PVC) insulated cables.
essential for safeguarding cables. In multicore • Current carrying capability It has the capability
cables, two-point earthing is exercised. But in of carrying large currents under normal ( 0oC),
single core cables, a single point earthing is provided emergency (1 0oC) or short circuit (250oC)
at the sending end and sheath voltage limiter (SVL) conditions.
at the receiving end up to a short length of about • It is the most important component in indoor
-4 km. However, if the route length is several gas-insulated sub-stations (GIS) and is installed
kilometers long and has unequal cable sections, where space is a constraint.
cross bonding scheme is adopted. The selection of • For extra high voltage (EHV) applications, LPE
SVL and accurate earthing become crucial as far as cables are being extensively used because of
power cable network design is concerned. their superiority over other UG cables. They are
The authors have written this paper highlighting generally single-core cables.
the pros and cons of cross bonding scheme of
sheaths with co-axial cables against the conventional 1.1 Brief Description of XLPE Cables
single core cables for transmission of Power to long Here is the chemical formula
distances having unequal cable section.

Key words: cross-linked polyethylene cable, surge

voltage limiter, cross bonding, co-axial cable

1.0 Introduction
LPE underground cables have now assumed
greater importance, although they are much costlier
than overhead (OH) transmission lines basis the
following:
• Aesthetic sense As underground (UG) cables are
not visible from the outside, these provide a clean
and aesthetic view of the city or town where they
are laid.
• They do not require RoW, unlike OH transmission
lines.
• They cables can be laid in densely populated
residential areas.
• Unlike transmission lines, UG cables are not Figure1: Chemical formula of molecules forming
exposed to the air or atmosphere, thus they are XLPE bonding

November 2024 | 55 |
INSIGHT

Figure 2: XLPE cable with corrugated sheath

Note:
• Conductors can be a Milliken conductor or a circular conductor of either aluminum or copper.
• Corrugated aluminum sheath (shown in item number 6) facilitates sharp bending of the cable and can
carry heavy Earth fault currents.

Figure.3: XLPE cable with copper wire screen and lead alloy sheath
Note:
I. Unlike aluminum sheath, lead sheath is not capable of carrying high Earth fault currents due to high fault
levels; hence, copper-wire screen is provided.

| 56 | November 2024
2.0 Salient Features of XLPE cables 3.0 Induced Voltages on Cable Screens
a) Electrical and physical properties It has the 3.1 Electromagnetic Voltage Induction: The current
capability of carrying large currents. It has flow in the cable’s inner conductor creates a
excellent resistance to thermal deformation and magnetic field, which induces voltage on to the
its excellent ageing process permits it to carry own cable screen as well as on to the screen of
large current under normal ( 0oC), emergency surrounding cables.
(1 0oC) or short circuit (250oC). If cable screens are connected forming a loop
b) Ease of installation LPE cable withstands smaller by applying Ohm’s law, a current flows in that loop
radius bending and is lighter in weight, allowing as a result of induced voltage, and the resistivity of
for easy and reliable installation. Furthermore, the cable-screen material thus produces additional
the splicing and terminating methods for LPE power losses.
cables are simpler as compared with other kinds
of cables.
c) Free from height limitation and maintenance:
LPE cables can be installed anywhere without
special consideration of the route profile (height
limitations) as they do not contain oil, and thus,
are free from failures due to oil migration in oil-
filled cables.

2.1 Short-circuit current capacity of conductors

Table 1 contains the maximum admissible short-
circuit currents Ik,1s for conductors according to IEC
60 4 with a duration of 1 second for copper and
aluminum conductors and insulation types- LPE vs
oil [3].

Figure 4: Development of induced voltage in neighbouring

cable screens or sheaths.

3.2 Induced voltage:

Ui m.I.L
where,
m .M ,
km
Mutual inductive reactance between core and
the sheath
I in amp, current in the cable conductor,
L length of cable section in kilometre.

Table 1: Admissible short circuit currents. [2]

2.2 Life Expectancy and General Practice

The life expectancy of LPE cable is more than 40
years. Considering the expected load growth and
demand and to avoid the need of augmenting cables
from time to time, utilities generally use higher
conductor si es. Figure 5: Magnetic fields of neighbouring three cables
encompassing each other.

November 2024 | 57 |
INSIGHT

3.3 Cable Layout

Figure 6: Flat cable layout Figure 7: Trefoil cable layout

3.4 Dependence of Induced Voltages on 3.5 Graphical Representation of Dependence of

• Cable dimensions and cable lay-out Induced Voltages
- Axial spacing between conductors (S) Induced voltages depend on
- Cable sheath diameter (D) • Cable length
• Length of the cable section (L) • Frequency
• Network frequency ( 2 f) • Conductor current
• Short circuit current (worst case) • Sheath diameter
- Failure mode (single phase, three phase) • Axial spacing

Figure 8: Graphical representation of dependance of sheath voltage on cable length, system frequency,
conductor current, sheath diameter and axial spacing

| 58 | November 2024
3.6 Maximum Value of Induced Voltage Disadvantages:
• Limited by electrical properties of outer sheath. • Circulating currents would flow in the sheath
• Withstanding voltage 10 kV DC for 1 min as per as the loop between the two earthing points if
IEC. closed through the ground.
• Over voltage due to short circuits must be below • These circulating currents are proportional to
this value. conductor currents, resulting in a reduction of
• Higher values to be limited by SVL. the cable’s ampacity.
• Typical SLVs are of kV and 6kV nominal values.
• Note
- Overload factor 1. 6.
- Tolerance factor is approximately 1.1.
- Residual voltage approximately x nominal
voltage of SVL.

4.0 Earthing Bonding Methods and Induced

Voltages
4.1 Both-end Bonding: Both ends of the cable sheath
are connected to the system earth.

Advantage:
• With this method, no induced voltages occur at
the cable ends, making it most safe and secure.

Figure 9A: Both ends bonding [2]

Figure 9 B: Both ends bonding [3]

4.2 Single-end Bonding

The sending end of the cable sheath is connected to the system Earth. The other end is open, thus standing
voltage will appear, which is induced linearly along the cable length. To ensure safety requirements, the open-
end of the cable sheath must be protected with surge arrester (SVL).
SVL is basically a metal oxide varistor (MOV) surge arrester that deflects switching and atmospheric
surges but must not trigger in short circuits.

November 2024 | 59 |
INSIGHT

4.2.1 Earth Continuity Cable (ECC)

• To avoid a potential raise in case of a failure, both
Earth points have to be connected additionally
with an earth continuity cable.
• To avoid or minimise different earth potentials at
both ends of the cable.
• To ensure correct operation of SVLs.

Requirements
• The ability to carry the single-phase short circuit
current.
• Must be placed in an induction-free manner
to avoid difference in potential or circulating
currents.
Figure 10: Single-ended bonding [2]

Figure 11A: Three HV cables in trefoil formation directly earthed at the sending-end and SVL at the receiving-end with ECC [3]

Figure 11B: Single-end bonding with ECC transposed at the central cable at the middle of length to cancel out induced voltage [3]

| 60 | November 2024
 • Placement Between the power cables,
0 percent of cable axial distance apart from the
centre cable.
• Transposition ECC is transposed to the other
side in the middle of the cable system to cancel
out induced voltage.
• The ECC must be insulated.

4.3 Single-end Bonding at a Glance

Aspects/Subjects Advantages Disadvantages
Safety Potentially dangerous as induced voltage
occurs proportional to length of the cable
section, frequency, conductor current
with the length of the cable. Protection
against accidental contact essential
Circulating No circulating currents possible as there
current will not be an Earth-loop, and thus, the
ampacity of the cable is not impaired
Losses With no circulating currents, additional
losses will be minimal (Eddy currents only)
Length limit Length of the cable section is limited
as induced voltages must be limited to
certain values
Cost economics Laying of an Earth continuity cable
alongside power cables for ensuring
correct functioning of SVLs
Application Typically for short HV connections but
also for LV and MV in case of large phase
distances
Table 2
5.0 Cross Bonding of Sheaths of Cables
5.1.1Cross Bonding of Sheaths with SVL at Bonding Location

Figure 12A:
Cross bonding
methodology;
development of
induced voltages
shown section-
wise [3]

November 2024 | 61 |
INSIGHT

Please refer to figure 12A sections of cables. The sheath of the cables of
• Generally used for long distance transfer of all three phases are connected with each other in
power. the cross-bonding system.
• Minimum section of cables must be three equal • The sheaths of the cable of L1, L2 and L
lengths. are earthed at the starting point of section 1
• Generally equal length of cables is cross bonded. and at the end of the 3rd section they are again
• As seen from figure 12A, there are three equal earthed.

5.1.2 Transposing of Cables and Cross Bonding of Sheaths Thereof

Figure 12 B: Cables transposed at each bonding point [3]

Please refer to figure 12B For very long cables lengths or parallel circuits, in addition to cross bonding of the
sheaths, the conductor of each phase may also be transposed as shown in figure 12 B.

5.2.1 Cross Bonding of Sheaths at Cable Junction Boxes

Cross bonding of sheaths done at the location of cable jointing box through coaxial cable from each of phase
of the cables through coaxial cables through links with SVLs in the CB box as shown in Figure 1 A.

Figure 13A: Cross bonding of sheaths of the individual phase cable

| 62 | November 2024
5.2.2 Cross Bonding Box 6.0 Cross Bonding of Sheaths of Long
It can be used for installation in floors or can be Cable Lengths – Coaxial Cable vs Single
mounted on walls as the case may be (Figure 1 B).
Core Cables
One of the FA s by customers to executors of UG
cables laying projects or proposers is:
Why do you prefer using coaxial cables over
single core cables for cross-bonding purposes of
HV EHV power cables
The relevant explanation to this effect is
mentioned hereunder
There is no restriction for extending power supply
through UG cables of lead length beyond 1,500 m as
cross bonding of sheaths are in series.

6.1 Cross Bonding of Sheaths; Advantages of

Coaxial Cable Over Single Core Cable
• As mentioned, when all three sections of cables
have to be equal in length, there will be neither
any induced voltages nor a circulating current
however, if all three sections are not equal, there
will be circulating current due to development of
S mentioned here under
induced voltages.
Figure13B: Cross bonding box • Effect due to unequal lengths section lengths is
depicted in graphical representation.

Figure 14: Graphical representation of ampacity and screen losses due to unequal cable section

November 2024 | 63 |
INSIGHT

The graph and table shown in figure 14 is explained rise to some circulating current.
below: iv. Due to the circulating current as explained in
i. As seen from the table of cross bonding length No. iii, the Ampacity of the cable will be reduced.
ratio, against 2 in figure 14 cable section C’ is Such cases are generally found in metro cities.
longer than sections A’ and B’. v. In such cases, due engineering is done, losses
ii. The ratio of all cable sections should be 1 1. due to less ampacity are taken into account,
iii. If the ratio of the cable section is not 1 1, there and benefit thereof is passed on to the proposed
will be unequal induced voltages, which will give consumer.

6.2 Comparison Between Cross Bonding with Coaxial Cable and Single Core Cable
Criteria Co-axial Cable Cross Bonding Single Core Cross Bonding
Limiting length of the cable For long distance For short distance
Limiting of cable voltage Above 1 2 kV Up to 100 kV
Cable section Cable sections 3 nos, in series of Cable sections nos of equal
equal lengths to long distance lengths in series for short distance
Un-equality of cables Can be used as in equal three Not possible
section sections until the last span may be
longer than the previous series of
sections.
Ratio of cable sections If more than 1 1 due to difference Must be 1 1 only
in induced voltages, circulating
current will be produced, resulting in
lowering down of ampacity
Reactance Impedance Reactance low Reactance high
Effect of short circuit heavy Transient voltage developed is Transient voltages will be higher and
current fault lower; hence, damage to cable may damage the cable insulation
insulation is overruled
Table 3
• Due to low transient voltages, the possibility of
7.0 Short Circuit Considerations damage to the cable or cable sheath is overruled.
• As per standards, it should not be more than 10 m.
• If it is more than 10 m, then complete engineering
is to be done for reducing the impedance of the
co-axial cable.

8.0 Selection of Proper SVL

The SVL is an important equipment used in single-
end bonding of screen and sheath as well as in
cross-bonding schemes. Once over voltages are
known on each cable section in power frequency
mode (normal operation and short circuit), the
appropriate SLV is selected as follows
• The limiter should be suitable for continuous
operations with an applied voltage equal to the
shield or sheath standing voltage under either
normal or emergency loads [4].
Figure 15: Co-axial cable • The surge voltage limiter must be designed
to dissipate the energy associated with the
• Since it is a coaxial cable, the reactance will be transient over voltages impressed upon 4 .
low and the impedance will be low too, However, • The maximum continuous operating voltage
if single core cable is used, the impedance of the Uc of the SVL must always be higher than the
cable is higher than coaxial cable. maximum induced voltage at the cable section
• In case of short circuits, heavy current will flow, during short circuit (this is extremely important,
and thus, the transient voltage developed will failing which SVL will be destroyed).
be low in the co-axial cable as compared to the Note: It is recommended to use kV SVL for
single core cable. 66 kV cables and 6 kV SVL for 1 2 and above.

| 64 | November 2024
For example, if the Uc is say 4 kV, then the SVL to be • Detailed project report (DPR) should be prepared
used should be of 6kV 2 . visiting the site.
The residual voltage Ures of SVL must be lower • Cable si e should be proposed taking care of any
than the impulse withstand-voltage of the cable outer expected augmentation of load in that area.
jacket and joint outer protections, typically considering • Type of sheath bonding to be required.
the recommended 15-20 per cent safety margin.
• In case of long cable lengths, if only cross
Note: The function of SVL is to protect the cable bonding will serve the purpose or transposing of
outer jacket if residual voltage of SVL is more than cables is also required along with cross bonding.
the cable outer jacket, the outer jacket will fail in • Whether cross bonding will be done with single
case of fault. core cables or with co-axial cables.
• Cross bonding at a glance.
9.0 Conclusion • Appropriate kV rating of SVLs to be used.
It should be noted that power transfer through cables • Scrupulous supervision of cable laying is
is many folds costlier than overhead transmission essential.
lines. Hence, the following necessary precautions • It is essential to grout cable markers to identify
should be followed scrupulously the route of the cable.

Aspect/Subject Advantages Disadvantages

Safety Potentially dangerous as induced
voltages occur within the link boxes.
However, link boxes are closed.
Induced voltage and current Due to compensation of induced
voltages, practically no circulating
currents occur.
At the same time the screen is
connected to ground end to end
improving the station grounding.
Losses Since there is no circulating current,
therefore losses are minimal
(Eddy current loss only)
Length limit Since induced voltages
Length limit must not exceed certain
limit, therefore length of each
section is limited.
For transfer of power to a distant
place, many cross- bonding systems
are connected in series
Cost economics ECC is not required Insulating joints, Coaxial cables, link
boxes and SVLs are required,
therefore cost is more
Application For long HV EHV connections
Table 4
10.0 References AUTHORS
• CEA’s guidelines for use of UG cable system and
overhead conductor system with cost benefit
analysis.
Dr Rajesh
• Brugg cables High Voltage LPE Cable Systems KK Murty,
Kumar Arora,
Technical User Guide. CE (T C),
Sr Manager
• Hitachi-ABB Cable sheaths over voltage Retd,
(Technical)
protection-Application note .1. MPPTCL
D E, DTL,
• IEEE Std.5 5-2014 IEEE guide for bonding Jabalpur
New Delhi
shields and sheaths of single conductor Power
cables through 5kV through 500 kV.

November 2024 | 65 |
THINK TANK

“Smart metres
contribute to cost
efficiency, grid reliability,
and data security.”

- Jaideep Mukherjee, Chairman,

IEEMA Energy Meter Division

T
he 10th edition of Metering India, organised by How will the 10th edition of Metering India be
IEEMA’s Energy Meter Division, brings together different from past editions?
experts for discussions on latest advancements With the evolution of utilities through digitisation
in energy metering. It is a symposium for and the use of metering data for their strategic
knowledge-sharing, networking, and developing improvements, this edition will focus on advanced
businesses for a sustainable energy future. metering infrastructure (AMI) rollout experiences in
This biennial event, organised in collaboration with the country and how smart metering data can be
metering companies and stakeholders in the used to bring out intelligence and cater to current
electrical ecosystem, has a two-decade track record and upcoming cases.
of transforming the Indian energy landscape. Additionally, it will also focus on sustainability
Leading experts convene at Metering India to tackle and consumer-centric utilities. Integrating artificial
industry challenges and explore new technologies intelligence (AI) and the internet of things (IoT) with
for a more e cient and reliable power grid. utility operations, it will highlight topics beyond
With the theme of ‘Sustainable and Consumer- traditional metering such as renewable energy
centric Utilities towards NetZero’, this edition of integration, energy e ciency, and cybersecurity.
Metering India will focus on power of smart metering This edition aims at showcasing innovation and
technology to empower consumers, catalysing articulating a strategic vision for a smarter,
greater satisfaction and making utilities sustainable more sustainable energy future in India.
to complement India’s journey towards net-zero.
The Metering India seminar, held once in two What inspired the theme of ‘Sustainable and
years, attracts several participants from across the Consumer-centric Utilities towards NetZero’
globe. Technical papers from experts and learned this edition?
authors in the field of energy metering from This theme is driven by the urgent global
around the globe are invited for presentations and imperative towards climate change and the
discussions at the seminar. The previous edition of five-point agenda given by the Hon’ble Prime Minister
the Metering India seminar was attended by more while delivering the ‘National Statement’ at the
than 550 delegates from over 180 organisations COP-26 for achieving the net- ero target by 2050.
with more than 20 technical papers presented • Raise non-fossil fuel-based energy capacity of
over two days. the country to 500 GW by 2030.
Jaideep Mukherjee, Chairman, IEEMA • Meet 50 percent of the country’s energy
Energy Meter Division, shares more on why smart requirements with renewable energy by 2030.
metering infrastructure is essential for India’s power • Reduce the total projected carbon emission by
sector and the role the seminar will play in this. 1 billion tonne by 2030.

| 66 | November 2024
• Reduce carbon intensity of the economy to less
than 45 percent by 2030.
• Become carbon neutral and achieve net- ero
emissions by 2070.
As an industry, we would like to deliberate upon
how distribution utilities could shift towards
renewable sources and enhance energy e ciency
with the use of metering and data.
Also, this session will focus on aspects on how
consumer expectations could be met, and utilities
can enable them for sustainable practices and
energy e ciency.
Technological advancements and supportive
policies provide opportunities for innovation and
collaboration within the industry. This conference
aims at exploring these dynamics, dialogues among
stakeholders, and accelerating the transition to
achieve the targets set by the country.
collaboration with the government and discoms to
How do you envision this conference impacting the achieve the MoP’s vision of bringing resiliency in the
future of metering infrastructure in India? What role system along with right consumer engagement
would the event play in increasing consumer while considering environmental sustainability.
awareness or smart metres and its enefits? The seminar will showcase advancements in
This conference will provide stakeholders a AI and machine learning (ML) applied to metering
platform to share their experiences on current data, to achieve the objective of the scheme of
AMI implementation in the country and global reducing aggregate technical and commercial
rollouts to better shape and ramp up the balance (AT&C) loss and minimising average cost of supply
deployment in India. (ACS)-average realisable revenue (ACS-ARR) gap
One of the major focus areas of the conference is through right information technology (IT) and
to deliberate on how consumer awareness operational technology (OT) integration.
programmes could be carried out to increase the The conference will also highlight other
awareness and understanding of smart metres innovations that can deploy AMI as a steppingstone
among consumers and stakeholders. to further improve utility performance and
It also provides a platform for consumers to share consumer convenience.
benefits and use cases of smart metering rollout.
The conference will also provide an opportunity Why is a smart metering infrastructure essential for
to understand technological advancements and India’s power sector and what role will the seminar
mitigation of myths associated with the smart play in this?
metering programme. Smart metering can be the first steppingstone
towards digitisation of distribution utilities by
The Government of India (GoI) has launched the providing accurate and near real-time data on
Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) with energy consumption.
special focus on smart prepayment metering. The data harnessed from smart metering will
How is the Metering India seminar aligned with this help improve operational e ciency, and thus,
vision to further objectives of the RDSS? optimise low voltage and medium voltage grid
One of the major objectives of the RDSS scheme operations and reduce operational cost.
is transition of 250 million metres to smart prepay Smart metres support the integration of
metering and we thank and appreciate the Ministry renewable energy sources by providing detailed
of Power (MoP), GoI, for the policy framework laid by consumption data, enhancing grid stability, and
guidelines and SBD for smart metering supporting sustainable energy practices.
implementation through the RDSS. They ensure billing accuracy, empower consumers
In line with this, contracts of more than with real-time usage information, and enable
110 million points have currently been awarded for effective demand response strategies. Smart metres
AMI implementation in the country. contribute to cost e ciency, grid reliability, and
The metering industry is a proud contributor in data security.
various initiatives of the GoI towards digital Also, smart prepayment metering on one hand
transformation of utilities. We will further work in will help end consumers analyse their consumption

November 2024 | 67 |
THINK TANK

and enable them with pay-as-you use. On the other selection of robust communication technologies
hand, it will help utilities optimise their revenue and proper planning for fallback to communication.
operations and working capital requirements. The Standard Bidding Document (SBD) also
enables the AMI service provider (AMISP) to chose
How can smart metre data security awareness and technology as per the project area while also
training be improved among stakeholders? propagating an outcome-based business model,
What are some of the data security issues or which focuses on the value delivery rather than
solutions that you have encountered? micromanagement of technology and stack.
Improving smart metre data security awareness
and training involves a multifaceted approach to How do you ensure the resilience and reliability of
address challenges and implement effective smart metering systems in the face of potential
solutions, which will help stakeholders better cybersecurity threats?
understand and prepare for potential security risks Ensuring resilience and reliability of smart
such as unauthorised access, data tampering, metering systems is challenging. This can be
privacy concerns from detailed consumption data, achieved by adopting a multi-layered approach that
data interception during transmission, and combines technology, policy, and best practices.
insider threats. Areas where enhancements can be done include:
Stakeholder collaboration plays a crucial role in • Identify smart metering assets and assess
fostering a security-conscious culture. Inclusive related risks to evaluate potential disaster
discussions across relevant departments, forums impacts (power outages, damage, data loss,
for sharing best practices and incident reports, interference). This assessment will be further
incident response drills, and regular meetings to used to focus on the most important and urgent
review and update security policies ensure that protective measures.
security measures are comprehensive and aligned • Redundancy and backup systems through
throughout the organisation. alternative power; data backup (cloud storage,
encryption, and redundancy) to prevent data loss
or corruption; backup communication; test and
Resilience and reliability of smart update the systems through simulations, drills,
metering systems can be achieved or audits; governance to monitor and review.
• Enhance and innovate the system by integrating
by adopting a multi-layered new technologies to improve performance
approach that combines technology, and reliability.

policy, and best practices. What support does the metre industry require from
the government to increase localisation in
This proactive approach enhances preparedness smart metres?
and effectiveness in addressing security incidents Policy and regulatory support for prepayment
promptly and e ciently. through tariff simplification as this would
Implementing feedback mechanisms, such as make prepayments smooth and easily acceptable
anonymous reporting systems, enables stakeholders by consumers. There is also a requirement of
to promptly report security concerns and encourages regulatory support in enhancing skill development
continuous improvement in security measures. and creating the infrastructure for electronics
Solutions such as advanced encryption standard components such as protection circuit board (PCB)
(AES), multifactor authentication (MFA), regular and battery.
software updates, anomaly detection systems, In addition, policymakers and regulators could
data minimisation practices, and robust access help the industry by promoting solutions that can
controls with audits further bolster smart metre data use smart metering data for resilient and sustainable
security, safeguarding against potential threats and distribution utility performance.
vulnerabilities. By comprehensively integrating As communication is pivotal for any smart
these strategies, organisations can strengthen their metering implementation, the government could
defenses and mitigate risks associated with provide support by bringing inter-ministerial
smart metre data security effectively. coordination for this outcome-base smart
metering rollout.
How do you address challenges and risks of smart A supportive regulatory framework will facilitate
metre communication in remote or rural areas? growth and competitiveness in this sector,
Addressing smart metre communication encouraging investments and innovations in
challenges in remote or rural areas involves careful the production of smart metres in India.

| 68 | November 2024
IEEMA EVENTS

ELECRAMA 2025:
Sustainability, Innovation,
Safety, and Automation
As previews to the mega event, IEEMA held roadshows in the cities of
Lucknow, Rajkot and Coimbatore

E
LECRAMA has evolved beyond a conventional September 27, 2024. More than 150 delegates
transmission and distribution (T&D) show to participated in the event, including senior utility
explore new growth segments in the electrical o cials, members and non-members comprising
and electronics sector. This edition will offer a engineering, procurement and construction (EPC)
glimpse into what the future holds. representatives and delegates from industrial
The Indian Electrical & Electronics Manufacturers’ clusters across Uttar Pradesh.
Association (IEEMA), the apex association of the The session was moderated by Charu Mathur,
Indian electrical equipment manufacturing industry, Director General, IEEMA, who set the context for
recently held previews of ELECRAMA 2025 in the event.
Lucknow, Rajkot and Coimbatore. Imteyaz Siddiqui, Vice Chairman, IEEMA Northern
Region, welcomed delegates and praised the
ELECRAMA Preview in Lucknow Government of Uttar Pradesh for creating a
IEEMA Northern Region organised a preview of business-friendly and secure environment for
ELECRAMA in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, on investors. He emphasised the significant

ELECRAMA PREVIEW IN LUCKNOW

| 70 | November 2024
technological advancements and modernisation and distribution companies (discoms). Improving
efforts undertaken to improve the state’s power product standards will foster a win-win partnership
infrastructure, greatly improving the reliability and between manufacturers and discoms, enhancing
e ciency of the distribution network. He also overall performance and reliability in the sector.
highlighted the active role being played by IEEMA Guest of Honour Ranvir Prasad, IAS,
members in supporting this developmental journey. Managing Director, UPPTCL and Uttar Pradesh Rajya
Hamza Arsiwala, Immediate Past President, Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (UPRVUNL), in his
IEEMA, expressed his gratitude to dignitaries on the address, stated that Uttar Pradesh is currently
dais. He highlighted that under the capable serving a peak load of 30,000 megawatt (MW) and
leadership of chief guest Dr. Ashish Kumar Goel, this is expected to rise to 45,000 MW in the next five
the power sector of Uttar Pradesh is making years, necessitating significant investments.
significant progress, as evidenced by reduced He highlighted that the state’s transmission sector
transmission losses, improved maintenance of is among the best in terms of reliability. Efforts are
transformers, and timely payments to underway to expand transformer capacity, improve
manufacturers. This has led to increased control and instrumentation systems, and develop
collaboration with technology providers and original intelligent protection systems. Additionally, steps
equipment manufacturers (OEMs). He also are being taken to create new power storage
highlighted that India is on the path to becoming the solutions, reduce reliance on thermal generation,
world’s third-largest economy with a strong focus on and promote renewable energy, further driving the
infrastructure development. He noted the critical state’s development.
role the power sector, as a key component of
infrastructure, is playing in driving India’s
economic growth. The 16th edition of
Sunil Singhvi, President, IEEMA, in his address, ELECRAMA 2025 – the world’s
noted that the Uttar Pradesh Government’s
commitment to substantial investments in the largest electrical show – will be
energy sector presents a significant opportunity for
technology providers and manufacturers. He also
held from February 22-26
highlighted India’s vast potential for growth through in Greater Noida.
exports, noting that Indian manufacturers are now
exporting to countries such as the US, the UK,
the UAE, Germany, and Australia – marking a key In his address chief guest Dr. Ashish Kumar Goel,
development for the sector. Additionally, IAS, Chairman, UPPCL, UPPTCL, and UPRVUNL,
he underscored initiatives taken by IEEMA in areas said that Uttar Pradesh, as the largest consumer of
such as quality improvement, skill development, and electricity in India, is pleased to host ELECRAMA
fostering start-ups. 2025. The long-standing partnership between
In her presentation, Charu Mathur, UPPCL and IEEMA has been fruitful, with technical
Director General, IEEMA, provided a preview of suggestions from IEEMA experts presented in a
ELECRAMA 2025, highlighting the event’s key recent workshop already being implemented.
themes and opportunities for industry stakeholders. He emphasised the need for more such collaborative
She emphasised on the specially curated focus sessions. With the nationwide installation of smart
areas for this edition, including sustainability, metres, he stressed the importance of focusing on
innovation, safety, and automation. She also pointed data analytics at ELECRAMA 2025. He also shared
out critical areas of interest such as new energy that UPPCL has partnered with startups on pilot
solutions, EV charging infrastructure, battery projects for data analytics in select discom divisions.
storage systems, and opportunities for startups to He also mentioned that UPPCL has made significant
showcase their innovative solutions, positioning investments in protection systems over the past two
ELECRAMA 2025 as a pivotal platform for the future years, resulting in a 50 percent reduction in power
of the energy sector. transformer damage rates and a 20 percent decrease
Guest of Honour Pankaj Kumar, IAS, in distribution transformer failures. He urged
Managing Director, Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation manufacturers to develop innovative, future-ready
Limited (UPPCL), in his address, emphasised the product specifications and drive innovation through
need for IEEMA to develop a strong quality excellence strong research and development (R&D) efforts. He
mechanism to ensure higher quality products from also shared that efforts are being made to establish
manufacturers. He stressed that this is crucial, given an association of discoms and a distribution utility
the rapid growth projected in the power sector and meet is being organised in Lucknow and encouraged
also the benefits it will derive for both consumers IEEMA members to participate in this event.

November 2024 | 71 |
IEEMA EVENTS

ELECRAMA Preview in Rajkot programme, which integrates startups into the

IEEMA Western Region hosted its regional roadshow electrical industry ecosystem.
in Rajkot, Gujarat, on October 1, 2024. This event R Prakash, Member of IEEMA National Executive
served as a crucial platform for industry professionals Council, gave an exciting preview of
to discuss latest trends and opportunities in the ELECRAMA 2025, stressing the benefits for all
electrical and electronics sector, which will be industry players, regardless of size. He highlighted
prominently showcased at ELECRAMA 2025. key themes for the upcoming exhibition, including
The event was moderated by YV Joshi, former new energy solutions, EV charging infrastructure,
executive, GETCO, who set the context for the battery storage, and innovative technologies.
evening. Keyur Shah, Gujarat State Convenor, A promotional video showcased sponsorship
delivered the welcome address, highlighting benefits and opportunities for participants.
Gujarat’s pioneering role in the RE space. Vinod Asodariya, Hon. Secretary of the Rajkot
He emphasised the state’s extensive use of its Engineering Association, gave a special address,
coastline, solar, and wind resources to meet expressing his enthusiasm for visiting ELECRAMA
sustainable energy demands, noting that Gujarat 2025 along with association members. He also
ranks second in solar power capacity nationwide, announced plans to set up a pavilion to promote
comprising 14.5 percent of the country’s renewable local businesses.
energy portfolio. Local industry leaders, including Paresh
Sanjay Kulkarni, Chairman of the Western Region Ardeshana, Managing Director, Hi Tech Transpower
Committee, set the context of the event, warmly Private Limited; Jagdish Patel, Managing Director,
welcoming participants and underscoring the Falcon Pumps; and Udaysinh Jadav, Presidential
importance of the evening’s discussions. He spoke Member, Indian Society of Heating, Refrigerating
about IEEMA’s ongoing initiatives and the and Air Conditioning Engineers (ISHRAE) Rajkot
association’s contributions to India’s electrical Chapter, also addressed the gathering.
industry. He laid out the state’s ambitious targets, They encouraged participants to attend ELECRAMA,
including Ensuring uninterrupted, high-quality praising the exhibition as a global platform for
power service achieving a US$ 500-billion economy innovation in the electrical industry.
by 2026-2 maintaining leadership in exports, which The Rajkot roadshow attracted more than
accounted for 33 percent of the country’s total 110 participants from local utilities such as Gujarat
exports in 2022-2 and reaching 100 GW in RE Energy Transmission Corporation Limited (GETCO)
capacity by 2030. and Paschim Gujarat Vij Company Limited (PGVCL)
Focusing on renewable energy, as well as associations like the Rajkot Engineering
Satyen Mamtora, Member of IEEMA National Association, Jamnagar Factory Association, and
Executive Council, highlighted Gujarat’s strides in ISHRAE. The event provided an excellent opportunity
rooftop solar initiatives and its alignment with the for IEEMA to connect with non-members in and
national vision of achieving Net Zero by 2070. around Rajkot while promoting ELECRAMA 2025 to
He also spoke about IEEMA’s Electraverse a wider audience.

ELECRAMA Preview in Rajkot

| 72 | November 2024
 ELECRAMA Preview in Coimbatore

The event was supported by key industry product-specific international seminars, national
associations, including the Rajkot Engineering conferences and workshops in recent years, parallel
Association and ISHRAE Rajkot Chapter, further with the growth of startups.”
enhancing its impact and outreach. R Prakash, Member of IEEMA National Executive
Council, made a presentation on ELECRAMA 2025.
ELECRAMA Preview in Coimbatore “ELECRAMA, over the years, has been providing a
IEEMA Southern region organised an ELECRAMA global platform to a robust industry constantly
preview on October 18, 2024, in Coimbatore, upgrading to needs of the markets. ELECRAMA is
Tamil Nadu. The event saw participation from more for everyone – if you are an exhibitor, you get
than 200 delegates, including members and non- fantastic business connections; if you are a visitor,
members comprising auto ancillary manufacturers, you get to know about new technologies and new
pump and motor segments, sugar and textile ways to save money for investments; if you are a
industries, electricals contractors, consultants, curious onlooker in the electrical industry, you will
SITARC, traders and dealers, among others. get new business connections.”
Arul Prakash, Member, IEEMA Southern Region Guest of Honour Rajesh Doraiswamy, Joint
Committee, in his welcome address, said, Managing Director, Salzer Group, called ELECRAMA
“ELECRAMA is all about bringing people together, a festival, a carnival you once visit, you will never
especially in the world of energy, who are passionate miss again. “I am sure a lot of people here have
about shaping a better future, in terms of how we already seen it this far. If you start exhibiting, you will
live and how we power the world around us. see the difference finding customers from nowhere.
Every conversation that happens at the event today You cannot even imagine how customers from
has the potential to create something that could different countries come and see your products.
transform the future. Whether you are here to learn, From here, you will see how it develops. I highly
collaborate, or explore new opportunities, today is recommend everyone to exhibit and definitely visit
about building connections that will last long, this golden time for us to take advantage of.”
beyond this event. Together, let us reimagine what is Mira Parasuram, Member of IEEMA National
possible and build a more sustainable, electrified Executive Council, spoke about IEEMA’s ‘Women In
world for tomorrow.” Power’ initiative. ‘Women In Power’ was set up by
Shridhar Gokhale, Chairman, IEEMA Southern IEEMA to ensure that the contributions of women
Region, touched upon how IEEMA has grown over are recognised in this industry as well, she said,
the years and now has more than 1,000 members. “apart from the networking opportunities that
“IEEMA is an integral part of India’s energy transition ‘Women In Power’ offers.” Dr Mira also proposed the
and is working closely with policymakers. It provides vote of thanks, thanking the Presidium, DG IEEMA,
a platform for knowledge sharing, adoption of best participants and guests.
practices, and networking for manufacturers, Stay tuned for ELECRAMA roadshows coming up
utilities, professionals, international experts and in November. Watch out for more reports and
organisations. It has been organising technical pictures in the next edition!

November 2024 | 73 |
IEEMA EVENTS

Best Practices for

Underground Power Cables
IEEMA conducted a two-days workshop on ‘Best Practices for
Underground Power Cables – from Design to Manufacutring to Testing,
Laying and Accessories’ in Mumbai

A group picture…

U
nderground power cables play a vital role in
reliability of power systems. Design and
construction play a key role in power cables,
but equally important are good cable laying, jointing,
and termination practices. Such good practices and
good design of accessories only improve the quality
of life of a cable.
With this objective, IEEMA organised a two-days
training workshop on the subject ‘Best Practices for
Underground Power Cables – from Design to
Manufacutring to Testing, Laying and Accessories’
on September 24-25, 2024, in Mumbai. It was
supported by Polycab India Limited.
S Rama Prasath, Former Joint Director,
Central Power Research Institute (CPRI), Bangalore,
having more than 35 years of experience in this
domain, conducted the workshop as the faculty.
The workshop focused on all aspects of cables
– from designing to manufacturing to testing, design
of accessories, laying practices, fault location, and
condition monitoring of cables.
Training modules were conducted under eight Sonal Gariba, IEEMA Cables Division Chairperson, sharing her
sessions over two days through power point thoughts on the need for conducting such workshops

| 74 | November 2024
Faculty S Ramaprasath, Former Joint Director, CPRI, conducting the workshop

presentations, relevant videos, and demonstration • Earthing and bonding of cables

of physical samples of cables and cable accessories. • Cable fault location
• Condition monitoring of power cables
Key takeaways from the workshop included: • Importance of installation test, acceptance test,
• Materials used in power cables and maintenance test for underground power
• Selection of power cables cables using very low frequency (VLF).
• Construction and manufacturing
• Current rating of power cables Utility engineers like Adani, NPCIL, Gujarat
• Measurement of thermal resistivity of soil utilities, manufacturers, testing engineers from
• Design of metallic screen for power cables and ERDA and engineers from government o ces like
design for cable accessories medium voltage BEST Undertaking, CIDCO, among others, attended
(MV) and high voltage (HV) the workshop. With the presence of 61 delegates,
• Joint and termination the workshop was highly interactive with delegates
• Cable laying methods medium voltage (MV), high gaining practical knowledge with demonstration of
voltage (HV) and extra-high voltage (EHV) cable and cable accessory samples.

Participants at the training workshop

November 2024 | 75 |
POWER STATISTICS

Global Scenario
New Energies
Global Scenario - New Energies

Source: Bloomberg

| 76 | November 2024
 Indian Scenario
Indian Electrical Equipment Industry - Production

Source: IEEMA data

November 2024 | 77 |
POWERDATABASE
IEEMA STATISTICS

Basic Prices and Indices

as on Phenolic Moulding Powder 118

August 1, 2024
PVC Compound - Grade CW- 22 161,325
IRON, STEEL & STEEL PRODUCTS
PVC Compound Grade HR - 11 162,325
BLOOMS (SBLR) 150mmX150mm 45,822
Transformer Oil Base Stock (TOBS) 98,284
BILLETS (SBIR) 100MM 47,659

CRNGO Electrical Steel Sheets

108.75 OTHER IEEMA INDEX NUMBERS
M-45,C-6 (Ex-Rsp)
IN-BUSDUCTS (BASE July 2000=100)
CRGO Electrical Steel Lamination 635,172 375.63
FOR THE MONTH June 2024
NON-FERROUS METALS
IN - WT (BASE JUNE 2000=100) 371.30
Electrolytic High Grade Zinc 266,700 Wholesale price index number for
‘Insulators’ (Base 2011-12 = 100) for 126.30
Lead (99.97%) 199,400 the month June 2024
Copper Wire Bars 797,579 Wholesale price index number for
‘Manufacture of Basic Metals (Base
Copper Wire Rods 814,140 143.30
2011-12 = 100) for the month June
2024
Aluminium Ingots - EC Grade (IS 4026-
241,883
1987) Wholesale price index number for’ Fuel
& Power (Base 2011-12 = 100) for the 146.90
Aluminuium Properzi Rods - EC Grade month June 2024
251,717
(IS5484 1978)
ALL INDIA AVERAGE CONSUMER
Aluminium Busbar (IS 5082 1998) 320,000 PRICE INDEX NUMBER FOR
141.40
INDUSTRIAL WORKERS (BASE
OTHER RAW MATERIALS 2016=100) June 2024

Epoxy Resin CT - 5900 736 #Estimated, NA: Not available

130
CRNGO Electrical Steel Sheets M-45,C-6 Rs./MT
125

120

115

110

105

100

95

90
09-22

10-22

11-22

12-22

01-23

02-23

03-23

04-23

05-23

06-23

07-23

08-23

09-23

10-23

11-23

12-23

01-24

02-24

03-24

04-24

05-24

06-24

07-24

08-24

| 78 | November 2024
 Production Statistics

Production
Highest
ACC For the From June
Name of Product Annual
Unit Month 2023 Production
May-24 to May 2024
Electric Motors
AC Motors - LT Sq slip flame Gr total 000' KW 1,764 19,440 19,195
AC Motors - HT HT Gr.Total 000' KW 313 4,832 5,273
DC Motors DC Motor 000' KW 33 457 618

Switchgears *
Contactors total of Power Contactor 000' Nos. 1,440 17,261 16,503
Motor Starters sub.tot Motor Staters 000' Nos. 241 2,448 2,427
SDF SDF(DLN+BS) 000' Nos. 54 696 752
Circuit Breakers DIN Rail Mounted Sub total - circuit breaker 000' Poles 20,822 223,850 221,179
Circuit Breakers - LT MCCB Single+Multi+Air Nos. 507 5,827 5,703,052
Circuit Breakers - HT Gr-CKT-(Isolating+Hvcon) Nos. 8,001 120,460 119,282
Custom Built Product LV+HV Cust bulit Rs. Lakhs 16,751 285,872 452,536
HRC Fuses & Overload Relays Gr total-(Relays) 000' Nos. 1,450 15,373 17,246

Power Cables * KM 83,065 1,070,088 1,052,205

Power Capacitors - LT & HT self +n self heal+above 1000 000' KVAR 5,392 64,203 65,385

Transformers *
Distribution Transformers 7.2,12.0,36.0,36 inclu.10000 000' KVA 4,488 54,932 58,341
Power Transformers Gr total -( Dist. Trans) 000' KVA 16,691 187,997 234,922

Instrument Transformers
Current Transformers Gr Total. Current Tr 000' Nos. 385 1,891 1,390
Voltage Transformers Gr Total. Volt Tr Nos. 16,469 219,970 217,752

Energy Meters Gr.total of(Single+three+poly) 000' Nos. 2,948 30,384 28,579

Transmission Line Towers* Gr Total/Wtd Total 000' MT 87 1,028 1,250

* Weighted Production

November 2024 | 79 |
POLICY UPDATES

MoP unveils National Electricity Plan and innovative solutions for improving energy
e ciency. The IEEH brings together governments,
for transmission international organisations, and private sector
The Ministry of Power (MoP) has launched the
entities to exchange knowledge and best practices.
National Electricity Plan for transmission with an
India’s participation will create opportunities for
aim of transmitting 500 GW of renewable energy
collaboration, enabling it to learn from international
(RE) by 2030 and more than 600 GW by 2032.
practices and contribute to global efforts in
The plan addresses the need for 47 GW of
promoting energy-e cient technologies.
The Bureau of Energy E ciency (BEE) will oversee
the country’s involvement in the hub, ensuring
alignment with national energy goals.

MNRE notifies draft guidelines for

PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana,
Innovative Projects Component
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
(MNRE) has released guidelines to enhance the
PM Surya Ghar scheme for rooftop solar
installations. To streamline the process, the MNRE
is urging states to transition rooftop solar
payment systems online and collect fees such as
application, load enhancement, meter testing and

battery energy storage systems and 31 GW of

pumped storage plants. Between the 10 years from
2022-23 to 2031-32, the plan aims at adding more
than 191,000 circuit km of transmission lines and
1,270 GVA of transformation capacity at 220 kV
and above. It also includes adding 33 GW of high
voltage direct current (HVDC) bi-pole links and
plans of increasing the inter-regional transmission
capacity from the current 119 GW to 143 GW by
2027 and 168 GW by 2032. The plan also covers
cross-border connections with neighbouring commissioning at the time of installation, thus
countries like Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, reducing the need for multiple visits to discom
and Sri Lanka, while exploring potential links with o ces. The MNRE will also award annual pri es to
Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The initiative presents a encourage innovation in rooftop solar projects,
significant investment opportunity, estimating over including a Rs10-million pri e, Rs5 million,
Rs9.15 trillion in the transmission sector by 2032. Rs million, and 10 consolation pri es of
Rs0.5 million each. Discoms are also required to
display all associated fees on their websites, and
Union Cabinet approves India’s there is an emphasis on prioritising smart metre
entry into IEEH installations under the revamped distribution
The Union Cabinet has approved India’s decision sector scheme and maintaining adequate stock of
to join the International Energy E ciency Hub net metres to prevent delays. These measures are
(IEEH). This will allow the country to collaborate part of the MNRE’s broader efforts to
with 16 other countries in sharing energy strategies promote residential solar adoption under the
PM Surya Ghar scheme.

| 80 | November 2024
MoP releases guidelines for MNRE increases ALMM solar module
installation and operation of capacity by 2 GW
The MNRE has increased the solar module
EV charging infrastructure-2024 capacity on the approved list of models and
manufacturers (ALMM) by 2,084 MW. The new total
module manufacturing capacity now stands at
56.5 GW. New entrants on the list include
Junna Solar System (94 MW), Sun N Sand Exim
(69MW), and Powertrac Solar Projects (47 MW).
Companies like Waaree Energies, RenewSys India,
and Goldi Solar have reportedly further increased

The MoP has released guidelines for installation

and operation of electric vehicle charging
infrastructure-2024. These guidelines will apply to
public, semi-public, and private charging stations
across India, including utilities, central and state
agencies. As it is a de-licensed activity, anyone can
set up and operate an electric vehicle (EV) charging
station. Power utilities must provide electricity
connections within specific timelines ( - 0 days),
depending on the area. As per the guidelines, public
charging stations can be established on public land
their enlisted capacity by 1,144 MW, 495 MW, and
at subsidised rates, with revenue-sharing models
235 MW, respectively. Sunbond Energy has been
to lower costs. The current EV charging density
included in the provisional ALMM list with an
targets aim for one station every 1 km in urban
applied capacity of 290 MW but its current enlisted
areas and every 20 km along highways by 2030.
capacity is 60 MW.

CERC issues draft CERC (Regulations MoP issues guidelines for installation
for Inter-State Transmission Charges and operation of battery swapping and
and Losses) (Fourth Amendment) charging stations
Regulations, 2024 The MoP has issued guidelines for installation
The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission and operation of battery swapping and charging
(CERC) has notified draft CERC (Sharing of Inter- stations. These guidelines will be applicable to
State Transmission Charges and Losses) (Fourth swappable battery providers, and owners and
Amendment) Regulations, 2024. Key changes in operators of battery charging stations and battery
the draft include new sub-clauses defining swapping stations located anywhere. Among the
‘Tariff Regulations, 2024’ and ‘Terminal Bay.’ The primary objectives of these guidelines include
amendments to regulation 12 address transmission promoting battery swapping as an alternative
deviations for generating stations with dual method for powering EVs, encouraging
connectivity to both, inter-state and intra-state battery-as-a-service models, and developing a
transmission systems. Regulation 13 introduces robust battery swapping ecosystem. Owners of
provisions for waivers of transmission charges for battery charging stations or battery swapping
projects such as hydro pumped storage projects stations can utilise their existing electricity
(PSP), energy storage systems (ESS) and offshore connections for charging swappable batteries with
wind energy, with specific timelines for commercial or without increasing the connected load.
operation and waivers for battery ESS and other RE Larger vehicles like trucks and buses may deploy
sources. The draft also includes new rules related liquid-cooled swappable batteries for e cient
to green hydrogen plants. charging and swapping.

November 2024 | 81 |
NEWS
NATIONAL Maharashtra Government signs MoUs
worth Rs475 billion for RE projects
Powergrid secures bid for ISTS project The Maharashtra Government has reportedly
signed several memoranda of understanding
on BOOT basis (MoUs) with SJVN Limited, Maharashtra Generation
Power Grid Corporation of India Limited
Company Limited (MahaGenco), REC Power
(Powergrid) has been declared the successful
Development and Consultancy Limited (RECPDCL),
bidder under the tariff-based competitive bidding
THDC India Limited (THDCIL), and HPCL Renewable
process for the inter-state transmission system
and Green Energy (HPRGE), a subsidiary of
(ISTS) for evacuating power from Rajasthan REZ
Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL), (HPRGE-
Ph-IV (Part-2: 5.5 GW) (Jaisalmer/Barmer Complex):
HPCL) for RE generation at a total of Rs475 billion.
RECPDCL will reportedly collaborate on project
development and engineering for RE projects, with
a hybrid project of 500 MW at an investment of
Rs30 billion. The MoU with THDCIL aims at
developing RE projects with a generation capacity
of 4,250 MW in the state. The agreement with
HPRGE-HPCL aims at establishing green hydrogen
and its derivative plant with a capacity of
50 kilotonne per annum at MAHAGENCO’s
gas-based power project in Uran, Raigad, through a
JV at an investment of Rs120 billion. As reported,
SJVN is also looking at developing a floating solar
power plant on the Lower Wardha Dam in a JV with
MAHAGENCO, with a 51:49 percent equity

Part F (By clubbing Part F1 and F2) on a build, own,

operate, and transfer (BOOT) basis. The project
involves establishing a new 765/400/220 kV
Barmer-I pooling substation, 765 kV and 400 kV
direct current transmission lines, and associated
bay extension works at other existing substations
in Rajasthan.

Government approves ASHVINI to

develop nuclear power plants
The government has received approval for the
Anushakti Vidhyut Nigam Limited (ASHVINI), a joint
venture (JV) between the Nuclear Power
Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and NTPC
participation. This project will be executed in two
Limited to build, own, and operate nuclear power
phases – Phase-I will involve 100 MW and Phase-II
plants in India under the Atomic Energy Act.
405 MW at a total investment of Rs30.3 billion.
This apart, the government has also approved the
transfer of the Mahi Banswara Rajasthan Atomic
Power Project (MBRAPP) comprising 4 x 700 MWe NHPC and APGENCO signs JVA to
reactors based on pressurised heavy-water reactor
technology, from NPCIL, to the JV company
set up 1.8 GW PSP
NHPC Limited and Andhra Pradesh Power
ASHVINI. The government has also reportedly
Generation Corporation Limited (APGENCO) have
granted exemptions allowing NPCIL to invest over
signed a JV agreement (JVA) to develop pumped
Rs5 billion and NTPC over Rs50 billion in a single
hydro storage (PSP) and RE projects in Andhra
JV or subsidiary. ASHVINI will also pursue other
Pradesh. These projects will be set up in phases.
nuclear power projects across the country,
Two PSPs – Yaganti PSP with a 1,000 MW capacity
in addition to MBRAPP.

| 82 | November 2024
and Rajupalem PSP with an 800 MW capacity – Eastern India. The cabinet has also approved plans
have been chosen for development in the first for five additional power plants. Furthermore, a new
phase. NHPC and APGENCO will have equal equity 1,600-MW power plant will also be established,
stake in the initial paid-up capital of the JV company. for which a global tender will be issued.

West Bengal cabinet approves THDCIL signs MoU with Rajasthan

construction of 660 MW supercritical Government for 1,600 MW PSPs
power plant THDC India Limited (THDCIL) has signed an
The West Bengal Cabinet has reportedly MoU with the Rajasthan Government to develop
approved the construction of a 660-MW supercritical two PSPs having capacity of 1,600 MW (800 x 2) at
an investment of Rs88 billion. The agreement
includes plans for two 800 MW projects – at
Bisanpura in Bundi and Rampura in Tonk. Bisanpura
PSP will use water from the Gudha Dam and the
Rampura PSP will use water from the existing
Bisalpur reservoir, thus improving grid stability and
providing sustainable energy solutions.

INTERNATIONAL

Nepal, India, Bangladesh sign

tripartite power agreement
Nepal will, for the first time, export
power plant in Sagardighi, Murshidabad. This will hydroelectricity to Bangladesh via India. Under the
be the first supercritical power plant in agreement, Nepal will export 40 MW of power

November 2024 | 83 |
NEWS
during the monsoons, specifically from June 15 to specific actions for implementation. This partnership
November 15, for five years. The agreement was is expected to support RLEB’s expansion in the RE
signed by o cials of the Nepal Electricity Authority sector and contribute to future growth.
(NEA), Bangladesh Power Development Board
(BPDB), and India’s NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam
(NVVN). The electricity will be transmitted through
World Bank approves US$ 250 million
the 400-kV Dhalkebar (Nepal)-Muzaffarpur (India) to boost Lebanon’s clean energy and
cross-border transmission line, with NEA supplying
power to NVVN, which will then transmit it to BPDB.
grid services
The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors
NEA plans to export 25 MW from the Trishuli
has approved a US$ 250-million project aimed
hydropower project (HPP) and 22 MW from the
at expanding RES in Lebanon by restoring
Chilime HPP, having already secured approvals
electricity grid ongoing reforms. The project
from the Indian side. The total expected export
will involve strengthening
over five months is 144 GWh, priced at
Lebanon’s state-owned
US$ 0.064 per unit.
Electricité du Liban
(EDL) operational and
MoU signed to explore RE in commercial systems as
ASEAN countries well as increasing grid-
Founder Energy Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary connected RES supply
of Reservoir Link Energy Bhd (RLEB), and reinforcing the
has signed a MoU with MN Power Transmission network. The latter efforts
Sdn Bhd to explore RE projects such as solar, will include developing a
biogas, and biomass in Malaysia and other ASEAN grid-connected solar
countries. As reported, the MoU focuses on photovoltaic (PV) plant,
collaboration in identifying and developing these rehabilitating the Litani River
projects, sharing technical expertise, and taking Authority (LRA) hydropower plant,

| 84 | November 2024
and rehabilitating and reinforcing of the EDL among agencies to facilitate project development.
transmission network. As on August 2024, the provincial government of
Binh Duong had installed 4,007 rooftop solar
systems, totalling a capacity of 770.1 MWp.
US-based firm to invest in solar power The government reportedly aims at becoming a
projects in Vietnam’s industrial parks centrally run city by 2030, focusing on
Pacifico Energy plans on investing in solar advancements in science and technology,
power projects in industrial parks in the Binh Duong innovation, sustainable growth, climate adaptation,
province in southern Vietnam. The company has and improving residents’ livelihoods. Pacifico
supported the proposal and called for collaboration Energy has invested more than US$ 4.6 billion in
RE projects globally since 2012 and is the largest
US-based investor in Vietnam’s renewable sector,
with further plans of investing US$ 15-20 billion
worldwide.

CORPORATE

GAIL and AMG sign agreement for

2.5 GW renewable energy
GAIL India Limited and AM Green (AMG) have
signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to
develop solar-wind hybrid renewable energy (RE)
projects in India, with a capacity of up to 2.5 GW.
The agreement also includes a study on how to use
about 350 kilotonne of CO2 produced by GAIL at its

November 2024 | 85 |
NEWS
gas processing plants. The CO2 will be used to and solar modules. TotalEnergies holds a
create e-methanol from renewable energy. 25 per cent equity stake in ANIL, while Adani
The solar-wind hybrid projects will include energy Enterprises Limited owns the balance 75 per cent.
storage systems for providing power at all times.
This power will reportedly support the production
of e-methanol by AMG and other operations.
Avaada launches solar manufacturing
facility in Nagpur
Avaada Group has launched a new
Tata Power signs MoU worth Rs1,200 manufacturing facility at the Butibori Industrial
billion with Rajasthan Government Park in Nagpur. The facility, built at an estimated
Tata Power Company Limited has signed an Rs136.5 billion, will focus on the entire solar value
MoU with the Rajasthan Government to invest chain, including ingot-wafer, PV cells and modules
Rs1,200 billion in power distribution, transmission, and manufacture batteries and electrolysers.
and RE over 10 years to provide round-the-clock The company also plans to establish ancillary units
power to the state. As part of the agreement, for components such as module glass and
aluminium frames.

PGPPL signs share purchase

agreement to acquire 100% stake in
Deshraj Solar Energy
Purvah Green Power Private Limited (PGPPL),
a wholly owned subsidiary of CESC Limited,
has signed a share purchase agreement (SPA)
to acquire 100 percent stake in Deshraj Solar
Energy Private Limited. Post acquisition,

Tata Power will invest in RE projects, build a solar

modul e manufacturing plant, install rooftop solar
systems, and improve transmission and distribution
(T&D) infrastructure. The company will also explore
nuclear power and set up EV charging stations.
Of the total investment, Rs750 billion will be
allocated to RE projects with a capacity of
10,000 MW. An additional solar module
manufacturing plant of 2,000 MW will be established
in Jodhpur at Rs20 billion. Moreover, Rs200 billion
will be allocated to improve power distribution
Deshraj Solar Energy will become a step-down
infrastructure and Rs100 billion to transmission
subsidiary of CESC. The acquisition is part of
systems. Under PM Surya Ghar Yojana, rooftop
CESC’s expansion in the RE sector.
solar installations will be carried out for 1 million
households. The company has also proposed
Rs10 billion investment in setting up JSW Renew Energy Thirteen inks
100,0000 EV charging points across Rajasthan. PPA with NTPC for 700 MW
solar power project
Adani Group merges two subsidiaries JSW Renew Energy Thirteen Limited, a step-
with ANIL down subsidiary of JSW Energy Limited, has signed
The Adani Group has merged two of its step- a power purchase agreement (PPA) with
down subsidiaries – Adani Infrastructure Private NTPC Limited for an inter-state transmission
Limited and Mundra Solar Technology Limited – system and state transmission utility-connected
with Adani New Industries Limited (ANIL), a wholly- solar capacity of 700 MW. The PPA is signed for
owned subsidiary of Adani Enterprises Limited. power supply for 25 years at a tariff of Rs2.59 per
The merger is aimed at strengthening ANIL’s focus kWh. The project is expected to be commissioned
on low-carbon initiatives, including green hydrogen by June 2026. The current solar pipeline capacity
projects and the manufacturing of wind turbines stands at 3.2 GW with PPAs signed for 2 GW.

| 86 | November 2024
REC raises US$ 500 million via green India. Its Civil business has secured an industrial
segment order for civil and mechanical works for a
bond to support RE projects steel plant in India. Its Cables business has secured
REC Limited has raised US$ 500 million through
orders for supplying different types of cables in
green dollar bonds for RE projects. The five-year
India and overseas.
note has a coupon rate of Rs4.75 per cent
per annum, payable semi-annually, with a maturity
date of September 27, 2029. In 2024, this marks the Web Werks – Iron Mountain Data
first US Dollar bond issuance by an Indian public Centers and Lightstorm partner to
sector enterprise. This issuance is part of the
company’s US$ 10 billion global medium-term enhance digital infrastructure for
programme. In line with REC’s Green Finance Indian enterprises
Framework, the funds raised will be used for Web Werks – Iron Mountain Data Centers,
financing eligible green projects, adhering to the a leading provider of data centre services in India,
green bond principles of the Climate Bond Initiative has entered into a strategic partnership with
in London and the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI’s) Lightstorm, a pioneer in hyperscale networking in
external commercial borrowings (ECB) guidelines. South Asia, to deliver robust, scalable, and secure
digital infrastructure for Indian enterprises and
KEC International wins new orders ISPs. By combining their expertise in data centres,
Cloud and networking, the partnership aims at
of Rs1,003 crore revolutionising the digital landscape in India.
KEC International Limited, a global infrastructure Supplemented with competitive pricing models
engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) that leverage economies of scale, effectively
major and an RPG Group Company, has secured reducing the total cost of IT infrastructure
new orders of Rs1,003 crore across its businesses. ownership, this approach ensures e cient resource
Its Railways business has secured an order for utilisation while increasing access to data centre
tunnel ventilation system and associated works in and Cloud resources for enterprises in India.

November 2024 | 87 |
PRODUCT SHOWCASE

Solar Inverters Designed to Optimise Energy

Production and Maximise Savings

H
itachi Hi-Rel Power Electronics, among the globally and over 3 GW in India. These inverters are
pioneers in power electronics and a leading recognised for their high performance, reliability,
manufacturer of solar inverters, showcased e ciency, ease of installation, and safety, making
its cutting-edge solar inverters at a recently held them the heart of any solar power generating system.
expo. Hitachi Hi-Rel’s grid tied solar inverters, The product range includes grid tied solar central
based on contemporary technology from Hitachi outdoor inverters – 3.125 MW and 2.5 MW
Limited, Japan, are designed to optimise energy (1500 VDC), grid tied solar central inverters –
production and maximise savings. 250 kW to 2,500 kW (1,000 VDC), and grid tied solar
Currently, Hitachi branded solar inverters are string inverters – 1.1 kW to 6 kW (1ph) and
generating more than 5.5 GW of renewable power . kW to 255 kW ( ph).

Testing Tool for Insulation Resistance and

Voltage across Industries
K
eeping pace with the requirements of different
industries, MECO presents DIT954-6R, a 5-kV
digital insulation tester. The tester has a 3½
digit 1999 counts large display and backlight with
29 mm digit height. It measures insulation resistance
up to 200 G . The six test voltage ranges are 100
V, 250 V, 500 V, 1,000 V, 2,500 V and 5,000V DC.
Its features include:
• Large LCD display with backlight
• High accuracy for insulation measurement
• Single-person push button operation, battery
operated with AC adaptor
• Inbuilt protection circuit to prevent the harm of
reverse voltage • Over voltage CAT III 600V, IEC EN 61010-1 and
• Red LED Indicator for high voltage (HV) 61010-31
• Data holding function and auto range (insulation • IP 44 protections
test) The company claims this tester to be the best
• Beep facility tool for testing insulation resistance and voltage of
• As per IS 10656-1 8 and EMC Standard IEC transformers, switches, high voltage systems,
61 26 Class B cables, appliances, motors, among others.

| 88 | November 2024
AD INDEX

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS

NAME PAGE
NO

Amtech Electronics (India) Ltd. 85

APAR INDUSTRIES LIMITED 3

Billets 2

Dynamic Cables Limited 27

Dynamic Cables Limited 45

ERDA 29

FX-RETAIL FOREX DEALING 83

PLATFORM - CCIL

Hammond Power Solutions 41

Havells 25

JDS Group of Companies 23

Mangal Electricals 87

MECO 21

Menekkes Electric India Private 89

Limited

MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC 15

Nvent Power & Data 4

Infrastructure India Pvt. Ltd

OBO Bettermann India Pvt. Ltd. 5

Rectifiers Electronics Pvt. Ltd. 33

Schneider Electric 30-31

Schneider Electric 34-35

Schneider Electric 38-39

November 2024 | 89 |
SHOCKS & SPARKS

SHOCKS
and
SPARKS
Here are a few snippets from late Mr RG Keswani’s
original Shocks & Sparks for your reading pleasure:
This incident took place when Gorbachev was gave very prompt and satisfactory answers to all.
President of the then Soviet Union and George At length the Pandit said, I will give you a banana if
Bush (Sr) President of USA. Once, they along with you tell me where God is.” Boy Shankaracharya
Jyoti Basu decided to meet Lord Brahma to know replied, I will give you all I have if you tell me where
their fate. After introduction and completion of all he is not.”
formalities, Brahma asked them the reason for their
coming to him.
One of my friends brought a car and was satisfied
Gorbachev started first, Oh my Lord, I am going
with its performance, except that he got less milage
to induct ‘Glasnost’ in my country. Please tell me,
than the published
will it be successful?” Brahma immediately replied,
details. He asked other
es, it will be successful, but you will no longer be
president of your country.” owners of the
Next to speak was George Bush, Sir, I want to model and all
teach President Saddam Hussain a lesson, will I be of them said they
successful es, you will be, replied Brahma. were getting
But you will no longer be the president of USA better milage
after that.” than him.
Finally, it was the turn of Jyoti Basu. Brahma He then went to the car agent and said,
curiously looked at him when Jyoti Basu said, Oh I like everything about this car, but can you do
comrade, please tell me whether my Bakreshwar something to increase its milage?”
Power Plant will be completed in my lifetime?” Well, yes, the agent said hesitantly, you can do
Brahma stared at Jyoti Basu for a few seconds and the same as most car owners do.”
said, It won’t be completed in my lifetime also. What do you suggest asked my friend.
Lie about it.

Adolf Hitler was known to consult famous

astrologers from all over the world. It is said that he Attendance at the council meetings of an
had sent his emissary to a famous Indian astrologer, Association was extremely poor and the last
a Shastri from Banaras, with a meeting was attended only by the president and
question, What day will Hitler fie one of the vice presidents.
He will die on a Jewish holiday, The new president wrote to each member
replied Shastri. informing him that he was the Guest of Honour at
Which one inquired the the next meeting enclosing a badge with such
emissary and the reply to that was, inscription. Resultant, all 25 members attended the
I don’t know. meeting with badge on their lapels and arrived on
The emissary got perturbed. ou the dot.
must know because Hitler will
demand it from me.” In a class for training salesmen, one participant
I don’t know, persisted the astrologer, because asked, Sir, we manufacture household goods for
whichever day he dies will be a Jewish holiday.” ladies. How do I reach my client
ou do like this, advised the course expert,
Shankaracharya, when a boy of only 9 years old, address all your letters to the husbands and mark
was asked many questions by a learned Pandit and them private and confidential.

| 90 | November 2024
Published and Posted on 1st of every month at Mumbai R. N. I. No. MAHENG/2009/29760
Patrika Channel Sorting Office, Mumbai 400 001. Postal Regd. No. MCW/120/2024-26