Grids & Integration

The ratings agency expects the energy demand in FY 2021-22 to grow by 8-8.5%. While the increased energy demand will improve the thermal plant load factor (PLF) level, this sector outlook remains negative as the PLF level will remain below 60%.

A new IEEFA note discusses the impact of the proposed market-based economic dispatch mechanism for procuring bulk power, and regulations for frequency control ancillary services.

Scientists in Bangladesh have evaluated how a 50 MW floating PV plant could be integrated with the 230 MW Karnafuli Hydroelectric Power Station, located at the Kaptai Dam on the Karnaphuli River. They found that the two energy sources can be perfectly optimized and that PV can compensate for the reservoir’s shortage of water storage during the winter season while hydropower can compensate for the poor yields of the floating array during the monsoon season.

Power generated by renewable sources and corresponding action taken by business layers is not predictable. So it’s imperative that the latest controls are leveraged in the service of smart grids.

The 1,800-kilometer link connecting Raigarh in Chhattisgarh to Pugalur in Tamil Nadu can deliver 6 GW. Power can be transmitted in either direction, depending on demand.

The Ministry of Earth Sciences will strengthen meteorological forecasting activities in sync with the demands of the solar and wind energy sector stakeholders. It is already working on a five-year (2021-26) plan, said M. Rajeevan, Secretary, MoES, at a virtual workshop conducted recently.

The power ministry has announced that the exemption on grid charges is now available to solar and wind projects to be commissioned up to June 30, 2025. The waiver is also allowed for pumped-hydro storage and battery energy storage system projects.

With the draft National Electricity Policy (NEP) 2021, India is providing the right policy direction for this decade of the energy transition. Yet, there is room for further improvement. 

Developers have until July 8 to bid for setting up the rooftop solar capacity in RESCO mode. The plants shall come upon various government and private buildings in the State.

A new Ieefa report discusses the viability of under-construction coal-fired power plants and evaluates the associated stranded asset risk in building additional coal-fired capacity in India’s electricity system.