Technology to the fore at ELECRAMA

Over the years, the Indian power sector has evolved with changing technological innovations. Industrial gathering like Elecrama has provided platform for bringing such innovations under one roof.

Power is one of the most significant components of infrastructure fundamental for the economic growth and welfare of nations. The existence and development of sufficient infrastructure is crucial for sustained growth of the Indian economy. India’s power sector is one of the most diversified in the world. Sources of power generation range from conventional sources such as coal, lignite, natural gas, oil, hydro and nuclear power to viable non-conventional sources such as wind, solar, and agricultural and domestic waste. Electricity demand in the country has augmented rapidly and is likely to rise further in the years to come. In order to meet the escalating demand for electricity in the country, substantial addition to the installed generating capacity is required.

India ranks third among 40 countries in EY’s Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index, on back of strong focus by the government on promoting renewable energy and implementation of projects in a time bound manner. The country is the fifth largest producer and consumer of electricity with a capacity of 302 GW. India’s gross electricity generation boomed to 278,733 MWh. The power sector is continually evolving, but hardly ever has it experienced the rapid pace of change it faces at present. The interaction between technological, economic and political forces is catalyzing what could become the most dramatic transformation of electricity in the past century.

Indian power sector is witnessing a significant transformation that has redefined the industry outlook. Sustained economic growth continues to drive electricity demand in India. The Government of India’s focus on attaining ‘Power for all’ has accelerated capacity addition in the country. At the same time, the competitive intensity is increasing at both the market and supply sides. Total installed capacity of power stations in India stands at 330,860.58 MW till now. The Government of India has acknowledged power sector as a key sector of focus so as to promote sustained industrial growth.

Role of technology in the power sector
The challenges in the Indian power sector are changing. In order to meet the same, the sector has to harness the power of technology to transform itself radically. Technology can play a big role in transforming this sector, as power distribution companies will be in a position to use high end IT for effective power distribution. There is a need for accelerating effective deployment of appropriate technology alongside the relevant Government schemes. The future is all about convergence of Electrical Operational Technology (OT) and Information Technology (IT). It will bring together energy, automation, communication and software & analytics to convey greater intelligence, predictability, efficiency, reliability, sustainability and safety in the Indian power sector. Digitisation of power plants will play a critical role in the promising power scenario. It helps in reducing emissions and enhancing plant efficiency. Moreover, digitisation helps in managing grid stability in light of the growing renewable energy capacity.

At present, many power plants in the country are operated manually, based on the procedures written in rulebooks 20-30 years ago. Over the years, there have been several technological developments and by using a new sensor/existing sensor, plant data can be captured and processed to develop meaningful results. Besides, if the temperature and pressure of coal are continuously monitored, they help in managing emissions and improving efficiency. Another advantage of digitisation is flexible operations of the plant. Typically, coal-based plants in India were designed to operate at a plant load factor (PLF) of 50-60 per cent; though, with the penetration of renewables into the grid, these plants are running at an average PLF of 50 per cent and are operating at sporadic load. Under these conditions, the benefits of a supercritical plant are actually lost. Digitisation helps in taking decisions concerning power evacuation from a renewable source versus a fossil source taking into account projections on generation from wind energy, solar energy, etc. Technology such as Asset Management solutions is needed to help utilities to do predictive management of their installed base, and these solutions feature the frequency and duration of electricity interruptions being measured by solution providers through technology that detects – and bypasses – faults while ensuring connectivity through its Fault Detection, Isolation and Restoration (FDIR) technology. With the advent of technological innovations, the need of integrating the same has arisen in order to function swiftly within the sector and derive progress.

ELECRAMA: Bringing technology to the fore
ELECRAMA, the flagship showcase of the Indian electrical industry aims at bringing together the electrical industry ecosystem, focusing on the new technology areas and expose the electrical industry to new technology innovations and disruptions and provide them with information to manage the transformation to these new paradigm shifts. Vijay Karia, Chairman, Elecrama says that, “the event will feature the new business areas that are redefining the electricity space, the vital components being renewable energy, energy storage, digitization of electricity through IoT and AI and Electric Transportation opportunities.”

The industry gathering will also have a huge congregation of electrical trade that includes retailers, electricians, contractors and MSME suppliers and vendors to manufacturers who will be engaged through special activities, he adds.

Talking about technology innovations, Karia says that, “The constantly changing conditions in international markets create certain challenges that the industrialised nations have to face. Therefore, innovation is the key to the competitive advantages for the country. Technology advances help lower the cost and risk levels thus reducing the manufacturing capital requirements. The organisations have to be the ‘learning’ organisations to have the sustainable competitive edge. Increased investments in R&D will help develop cost effective technologies.”

Technological Innovation at Elecrama:
Transformers
Electrotherm (India) Ltd will be showcasing its range of transformers as well as special ratings made for few critical applications including solar generation fields.

JDS Group of Companies will be displaying three-phase distribution and special type transformers, dry type Nomex transformer, oil-filled transformers with a wide range of internationally recognised standards. The company will also showcase its indigenously designed and manufactured BIS certified energy efficient distribution transformers, level – 2 and level – 3 in various ratings, aluminium and copper wound distribution transformers.

Powerinst Electromagnets Pvt Ltd will be displaying its newly developed Magnetic Actuator

Transmission Line
KEC International Ltd will feature visual and information-rich static and digital panels as well as product showcase of its offerings in cables and smart infra capabilities for smart cities. Supreme & Co. Pvt Ltd will be showcasing demo model of its ERS .

Wires & Cables
Polycab Wires Pvt Ltd will be showcasing Fire Survival Cables, as the name suggests, are designed to be functional for hours under extreme fire, keeping in mind the safety and requirements of high-rise buildings, fire-fighting systems, lifts, public addressing systems, data centres, critical components of industries, etc. It will also showcase products including solar inverters, switchgear products and consumer products. We will also showcase some of the new innovative products like e-beam cables, rubber cables, fire survival cables, instrumentation cables.

Thermo Cables Ltd will be showcasing its instrumentation cables, power and control cables, thermocouple extension/compensating cables, fire resistant cables, foundation fieldbus cables, high temperature cables, wind power cables, CRD and trailing cables, HO7RNF – heavy-duty rubber cables, solar photovoltaic cables, automation and robotic cables, telephone cables, co-axial cables, super flexible battery cables and marine cables.

igus (India) Pvt Ltd will be showcasing its new CF29 servo cable series – one of several new high-end cable families for continuous motion in e-chains with an outer jacket made of halogen-free TPE.

Switchgear
Mitsubishi Electric India Pvt. Ltd will be showcasing its unique e-F@ctory solutions, which is an industrial enterprise solution with seamless integration of machines and processes from shop floor to top floor through high-speed connectivity, reliable data transmission and precise control – all deployed using tailored, robust and proven factory automation products and solutions.

Havells India Ltd will be showcasing its innovation and R&D excellence, state-of-the-art manufacturing capabilities and technological edge.

Socomec Innovative Power Solutions will be showcasing its new range of products that caters to the challenges of embracing Industry 4.0.

Power Management
Eaton will be showcasing RVAC Eaton SF6 Ring Main Unit (RMU) with advanced safety and ergonomically designed features for medium voltage secondary distribution network. The RVAC RMU is smart grid ready and provides a compact design and enhanced personal safety and immensely improves ease of operation and user experience.

WAGO Pvt Ltd will be showcasing WAGO 221 Series Compact Splicing Connectors.

T&M
Rishabh Instruments Pvt Ltd will be showcasing its distinctive 60K DMM to cater the need of Railways (users) which demands 100 kHz frequency range in AC measurements. The company will also display its next generation enhanced range of multi-function meters with complete programmability, Ethernet communication with 0.2 class accuracy.

Testo India Pvt Ltd will be showcasing an entire range of thermal imagers which enables to conduct smart and networked thermography and new range of Smart Probes that equips the users with smart and easy measurement techniques using the smartphone interface.

Metering
Genus Power Infrastructures Ltd will be showcasing its unique AMI solution capability comprising of three technologies together i.e. RF communication, GPRS/GSM communication and PLC communication with the common HES software.

Conclusion
With variety of technology and innovation taking place within the sector, the future of Indian power sector will completely be dependent on application of this technology and achieving maximum results with limited resources application. The industry aims to give new direction and new meaning to ‘electricity’.