Current Power Scenario In India

-- Aneeshan Sain

The first demonstration of electric light in Calcutta was conducted in 24th July 1879.

The first hydroelectric installation in India was installed near a tea estate at Sidrapong for the Darjeeling Municipality in 1897.

The first hydroelectric power station in Jammu and Kashmir was established at Mohra in Baramulla by Maharaja Pratap Singh in 1905.

Company (B.E.S.T.) set up a generating station in 1905 to provide electricity for the tramway.

The first electric train ran between Bombay’s Victoria Terminus and Kurla along the Harbour Line.

Some Historical Events

A Few Landmarks

Sidrapong Hydel Power Station [November 10, 1897 ] At the foot-hills of Arya Tea Estate;

Altitude : 3600 ft

The first electric train in India (circa 1925): the beginning of dc

traction in India.

Hussain Sagar Thermal Power Station in Hyderabad city

[1920] Capacity : 22.5 MW

Tarapur Atomic Power Station [1963]

Total capacity : 1400 MW

A Few Facts• The power generation profile in the

country had a massive growth from 1713 MW in December, 1950 in utilities to 228,721.7 MW at the end of September, 2013.

• In terms of fuel, coal-fired plants account for 59% of India’s installed electricity capacity, compared to South Africa’s 92%; China’s 77%; and Australia’s 76%. Renewal hydropower accounts for 17%, renewable energy for 12% and natural gas for about 9%.

• As of end November 2014 the electricity sector in India had an installed capacity of 255.012 GW and generated around 703.1 BU for the period April - November 2014.

Overview of Energy Sources in India The energy sources can be classified as follows :

Conventional Sources :1. Thermal power2. Hydro power3. Nuclear power

Non- Conventional Sources :1. Solar power2. Wind power3. Biomass power4. Geothermal energy5. Tidal wave energy

Thermal Power

Super Thermal Power Station , Rajasthan

• India’s electricity sector consumes about 80% of the coal produced in the country. A large part of Indian coal reserve is similar to Gondwana coal.

• On average, the Indian power plants consume about 0.7 kg of coal to generate a kWh, whereas United States thermal power plants consume about 0.45 kg of coal per kWh

• The installed capacity of Thermal Power in India, as of June 30, 2011, was 115649.48 MW which is 65.34% of total installed capacity.

• Current installed base of Coal Based Thermal Power is 96,743.38 MW which comes to 54.66% of total installed base.

• Current installed base of Gas Based Thermal Power is 17,706.35 MW which is 10.00% of total installed capacity.

• Current installed base of Oil Based Thermal Power is 1,199.75 MW which is 0.67% of total installed capacity.

• The state of Maharashtra is the largest producer of thermal power in the country.• INDIA LACKS THE GOOD CALORIFIC VALUE COAL AND IMPORTS 30% demand from

INDONESIA.• Vindhyachal is the largest thermal power plant in India with capacity of 3260 MW.

Thermal PowerPlants in India

Nuclear Power

BARC

Nuclear Power in India

• India had 4.8 GW of installed electricity generation capacity using nuclear fuels.• India’s Nuclear plants generated 32455 million units or 3.75% of total electricity

produced in India.• India’s nuclear power plant development began in 1964 by commissioning of two

boiling water reactors at Tarapur.

Capacity• India’s share of nuclear power plant generation capacity is just 1.2% of worldwide

nuclear power production capacity, making it the 15th largest nuclear power producer.

• Nuclear power provided 3% of the countrys total electricity generation in 2011.• India’s largest nuclear power plant project under implementation is at Jaitapur,

Maharashtra in partnership with Areva, France.• Now, India’s target is to have 14.5 GWe nuclear capacity on line by 2020 as part

of its national energy policy. Seven power reactors are under construction or almost so, of both indigenous and foreign design. This will set the scene for eventual utilization of the country's abundant thorium to fuel reactors.

Planned Nuclear Power Plants in

India

Hydro-Electric Power

Nagarjuna Sagar Dam

Hydro-Power Scenario• India is one of the pioneering countries in establishing hydro-

electric power plants. The power plants at Darjeeling and Shimsha (Shivanasamudra) were established in 1898 and 1902 respectively and are among the first in Asia.

• India is endowed with economically exploitable and viable hydro potential assessed to be about 84,000 MW at 60% load factor. In addition, 6,780 MW in terms of installed capacity from Small, Mini, and Micro Hydel schemes have been assessed. used form of renewable energy.

• India is blessed with immense amount of hydro-electric potential and ranks 5th in terms of exploitable hydro- potential on global scenario.

Major Hydro Power Plants in India

Non-Conventional Energy Sources The resources which are yet

in the process of development over the past few years. It includes solar, wind, tidal, biogas, and biomass, geothermal.

• About 16% of global energy comes from renewable resources.

• 10% of all energy from traditional biomass.

• 3% - others.• India ranks the 6th in the

world in renewable resources, China being at the top.

Solar Energy• India is bestowed with solar radiation ranging from 4 to 7 kWh/square

meter/day across the country, with western and southern regions having higher solar incidence.

• The first Indian solar thermal power project (50MW) is in progress in Phalodi Rajasthan.

• Land acquisition is a challenge to solar farm projects in India.

• McKinsey & Company, in its survey ended in May 2009, has stated that India has one of the world's highest solar intensities with an annual solar energy yield of 1,700 to 1,900 kilowatt hours per kilowatt peak (kWh/KWp) of the installed capacity.

• Recently commissioned by NTPC, the 50MW solar power plant in Rajgarh would suply electricity to about 90,000 households a year. Its solar power generation capacity in NTPC stands at 95MW.

Wind Energy• India has the fifth largest installed wind power

capacity in the world.• The largest wind power generating state was

TAMIL NADU accounting for 30% of installed capacity, followed in decreasing order by Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, and Rajasthan.

• The state of Gujarat is estimated to have the maximum gross wind power potential in India, with a potential of 10.6 GW.

Windfarms in Thar, Rajasthan

Geo-Thermal Energy• India’s geothermal energy installed capacity is experimental.

Commercial use is insignificant.• India has about 340 hot springs spread over the country. Of this, 62

are distributed along the northwest Himalaya, in the States of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

• Andaman and Nicobar arc is the only place in India where volcanic activity geo-thermal energy is present.

• India plans to set up its first geothermal power plant, with 2–5 MW capacity at Puga in ladakh.

Tidal Wave Energy• The Gulf of Khambhat and the Gulf of Kutch on India’s west coast

where the maximum tidal range is 11 m and 8 m with average tidal range of 6.77 m and 5.23 m respectively is sufficient.

• Barrage technology could harvest about 8 GW from tidal energy in India, mostly in Gujarat.

• Potential along the Indian coast is between 5 MW to 15 MW per meter, suggesting a theoretical maximum potential for electricity harvesting from India’s 7500 kilometer coast line may be about 40 GW.

Bio-mass Power• In 2011, India started a new initiative with the aim to demonstrate medium size mixed

feed biogas-fertilizer pilot plants. This technology aims for generation, purification/enrichment, bottling and piped distribution of biogas.

• India has additionally commissioned 158 projects under its Biogas based Distributed/Grid Power Generation programme, with a total installed capacity of about 2 MW.

• India is rich in biomass and has a potential of 16,881MW (agro-residues and plantations), 5000MW (bagasse cogeneration) and 2700MW (energy recovery from waste).

• Biomass power generation in India is an industry that attracts investments of over INR 600 crores every year, generating more than 5000 million units of electricity and yearly employment of more than 10 million man-days in the RURAL areas.

Transmission and Distribution

• INDIA is an energy deficient state, with almost 400 million people without electricity which equals the combined population of USA and Germany.

• Total distribution and transmission loss accounts for 23% in INDIA.• In DELHI losses are as high as 50%.• Equal investment as to generation can reduce transmission and

distribution losses.• The density of distribution is not equal Thus, to overcome this

problem an interconnected grid system is used so that on the basis of demand ,supply could be managed and easily delivered to areas far away from generating units.

SUMMING

UP

Conclusion• India has a vast potential to be the energy surplus state due to its abundant

resources and easy availability, but it needs to cut its power losses and control over population which leads to overburden on its production.

• India has the reputation of having the highest distribution losses in the world with a figure of nearly 47%, ranking above Burma with 36 % losses and Bangladesh at 33 %.

REMEDY

• To implement strict anti-pilferage acts.• To use smart grids .• Good power factor{quality}, so as not to use transformers excessively.• Avoid largely subsidized power distribution for political gimmicks.• Improve power implementation policies.• Encouraging non-conventional power both for public and government use.• Strict use of power rated devices.• Green carbon rated buildings and large scale use to be encouraged.• Use of prepaid power meters and other energy saving devices.