GE to Modernise Rajasthan’s Transmission Grid

GE will modernise the Rajasthan Transmission Grid with First-of-Its-Kind Advanced Grid Management Project in India, becoming the first state to implement game-changing power transmission technology.

GE Renewable Energy’s Grid Solutions business today announced that it has been awarded a technology-driven grid modernisation project by Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Prasaran Nigam Limited (RRVPL) as part of the utility’s roadmap to implement grid initiatives and augmenting renewable energy in the state, which will benefit the Rajasthan’s population. The project will be executed by GE T&D India Limited, GE’s Grid Solutions listed entity in India.

Smart Transmission Network and Asset Management System (STNAMS), RRVPL’s state-of-the-art power transmission roadmap, was designed to integrate large-scale renewable energy and support managing existing and future power structure. A first by a state utility in India, the project investment totaling USD 21 million (Rs 150 crore) demonstrates the need for efficient, stable and secure operation of the grid.

The total installed power capacity of Rajasthan is around 21.6 GW, out of which 34% comes from renewable sources. The state plans to further increase solar and wind generation capacity to 14.3 GW by 2022. To support this focus on renewable energy, the state requires remote monitoring and grid stability.

GE’s Advanced Energy Management System (AEMS) will serve as a foundation for RRVPL’s roadmap and enable the utility to alter production levels based on demand. Part of GE’s Digital Energy portfolio, the software will provide real-time data acquisition and a decision support system that will help in visualization and situational awareness of the transmission grid. The data displayed at RRVPL’s Smart Grid Command and Control Centre will help in monitoring the health of critical assets. The RRVPNL-STNAMS project will also include software features of National Transmission Asset Management Centre (NTAMC) & Unified Real Time Dynamic State Measurement (URTDSM), both implemented by GE for Power Grid Corporation of India Limited and will strengthen monitoring of the entire grid system of Rajasthan.

Sunil Wadhwa, Managing Director, GE T&D India Limited and Leader of GE’s Grid Solutions business in South Asia said, “The variable nature of renewable assets requires a fundamentally different approach to balance the supply and demand. Therefore, the grid of the future will require smarter, faster and more interoperable solutions to ensure resiliency, efficiency, and security. India’s renewable energy targets urgently require the state utilities to be able to make informed and accurate decisions for which advanced Smart Grid management systems will play a key role. GE’s Advanced EMS is a critical tool to enable that decision making.”

The RRVPNL-STNAMS project will have 535 substations remotely connected to the three control centers: the main control center in Jaipur, a back-up control center in Jodhpur and an additional regional center in Ajmer – which will help in remote visualization of power flow and asset health. GE’s Advanced EMS will help integrate large-scale renewable energy, make available Wide Area Monitoring Systems to avoid the instability in the transmission system operation, identify major areas contributing to transmission losses and undertake remedial action to reduce transmission losses. Additionally, GE’s grid software solution will also provide remote operations and control of the substations and network, enabling the existing technical workforce to focus on asset maintenance/management, grid monitoring, and efficiency improvement-related work.

“We are delighted to partner with Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Prasaran Nigam Limited to deliver a grid modernisation solution in development over the past five years by GE’s software business and now undergoing implementation, for the first time, in a state utility. This digital innovation will help integrate renewable energy and optimise performance, thereby strengthen the monitoring of the entire grid network in Rajasthan,” added Wadhwa.

Deepak Pandey, Regional Service Leader for GE’s Grid Solutions said, “We are excited to have an opportunity to implement advanced grid technologies in the state, which to-date have only benefited the transmission sector at a national level. With the increase of renewable energy generation that will power the remaining 24% population of Rajasthan, our robust technology will help in the grid stabilisation and efficiency improvement of power systems throughout the states.”