CEA Approves Uniform Protection Protocol For BESS, Substations

The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) recently introduced uniform protection protocol to ensure grid stability, reliability, security and to supports the greater integration of 450 GW renewable energy into the national grid by 2030 and ambitious target of 2100 GW of Renewable energy by 2047. The protection schemes protocol addresses the protection requirements for thermal and hydro generating units, renewable energy generations (REGs), battery energy storage system (BESS), substations, transmission lines, and HVDC terminals.

As per IEGC, 2023 , a uniform protection protocol to be there for the users of the grid for proper co-ordination of protection system in order to protect the equipment/system from abnormal operating conditions, isolate the faulty equipment and avoid unintended operation of protection system.

Key features of the Uniform Protection Protocol:

The Uniform Protection Protocol are applicable to all regional entities, state/central/private generating companies/ generating stations, SLDCs, RLDCs, CTU, STUs, transmission licensees and RPCs, connected at 220 kV (132 kV for NER) and above.

Monitoring and Audits:

The purpose of introducing the scheme is to create a disturbance monitoring, analysis, and reporting and to ensure that adequate disturbance data is available to facilitate grid event analysis. The analysis of power system disturbances is an important function that monitors the performance of protection system, which can provide information related to correct behavior of the system, adoption of safe operating limits, isolation of incipient faults.

Protection Audits: As per the Central Electricity Authority (Grid Standards) Regulations, 2010, IEGC Grid Code Regulations 2023 and approved SOP for Protection System Audit.

Performance Monitoring: Monthly submission of protection performance indices by users/entities to RPCs and RLDCs.
Compliance Monitoring: Non-compliance is reported to RPCs, and unresolved violations are escalated to the Commission for suitable directions.

During this meeting, various other key issues of Indian Power Sector such as transition to Five (5) minute Interface Energy Meters along with AMR system for PAN India, Unified Accounting Software for Energy Transactions, SOP for VOIP connectivity, Unified Real Time Dynamic State Measurement (URTDSM) project phase-II, MPLS Technology in ISTS Communication, Solution towards SCADA & Real Time data mismatch, Establishment of State-of- the-Art National Unified Network Management System (N-UNMS) in main & backup configuration integrating all the regional UNMSs, SOPs for Protection Audit, GD/GI/Tripping, Communication Audit of substations, Communication system outage planning of Indian Power System were also deliberated and further course of actions decided.

This Uniform Protection Protocol was created by National Power Committee (NPC)  in consultation with Regional Power Committee (RPCs) prepared for users of  Indian Grid for implementation on Pan India basis. The same was approved in  15th National Power Committee Meeting held on 14th November 2024 at Nagpur, Maharashtra under the chairmanship of Ghansyam Prasad, Chairperson, CEA.

The meeting was attended by high level dignitaries of  Power sector, Hemant Jain, Member (GO&D), CEA, S R Narasimhan,  Chairman & Managing Director of Grid-India, Chairpersons of Regional Power Committees/Technical Coordination Committees of RPCs, Member Secretaries of RPCs and NPC, and Representatives from CTU and CEA.