India Commissions World's Highest (1200 kV UHV AC) Power Transmission Voltage NTS

Chanakya's_Chant · May 19, 2016

Power Grid operationalises ultra-high voltage 1200 kV NTS at Bina

Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCIL) has operationalised its ultra-high voltage 1200 kV National Test Station (NTS) at Bina in Madhya Pradesh. This will help the company in increasing power carrying capacity.

The NTS is a research and development project which now will be monitored for two years and after that the Central Electricity Authority will take a call on replicating this technology in various parts of the country. This 1,200 kV station has the power carrying capacity which is five to six times more than the 400 kV stations for transmission of power. Thus this station will augment country’s transmission capacity many folds.

Power Grid Corporation of India is an Indian state-owned electric utilities company headquartered in Gurgaon, India. Power Grid transmits about 50% of the total power generated in India on its transmission network.

Source:- http://money.livemint.com/news/comp...-high-voltage-1200-kv-nts-at-bina-454979.aspx

via Piyush Goyal, Minister of State with Independent Charge for Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy in the Government of India

Chanakya's_Chant · May 19, 2016

Thanks @anant_s !

anant_s · May 19, 2016

@Chanakya's_Chant Nice to see you back!

on topic: This Bina project is actually a test bed and allows vendors to test prototypes like insulator strings, CT and PT along with Circuit Breakers.
In near future when such voltage levels will be used on commercial level transmission lines, this project will help a great deal in technologies developed here.

MilSpec · May 19, 2016

Wow, this is an incredible feat.

anant_s · May 19, 2016

MilSpec said:
Wow, this is an incredible feat.

Sir,
India last year commissioned world's first multi terminal 800 kV HVDC line for power evacuation from North east to heavy demand centers of North India.

Now these large capacity converter transformer are being manufactured in India (at Makarpura Vadodara).

Abingdonboy · May 19, 2016

anant_s said:
Sir,
India last year commissioned world's first multi terminal 800 kV HVDC line for power evacuation from North east to heavy demand centers of North India.View attachment 305970

View attachment 305971

Now these large capacity converter transformer are being manufactured in India (at Makarpura Vadodara).

Wow, wow, wow. There is no limit to what India can do when it gets its act together.

Kinetic · May 19, 2016

Nice achievement.

Mirza Jatt · May 22, 2016

If i am not mistaken aren't these capacity converter transformers very difficult to manufacture and we were dependent on China for this ?

anant_s · May 23, 2016

Mirza Jatt said:
If i am not mistaken aren't these capacity converter transformers very difficult to manufacture and we were dependent on China for this ?

No Sir.
These are now being manufactured in India with companies like BHEL, Alstom, Siemens and ABB indegenously manufacturing them. Other companies like Compton and Greaves are also coming in this segment. Today apart from some cooling technology and numerical relays, India is self sufficient in undertaking any kind of HVDC and UHVAC work on its own.

vsdave2302 · May 23, 2016

I think that main benifit is the reduction in transmission losses as they are proportional to current. If you increases voltage, current reduces so as transmission losses. Am I right?

anant_s · May 23, 2016

vsdave2302 said:
I think that main benifit is the reduction in transmission losses as they are proportional to current. If you increases voltage, current reduces so as transmission losses. Am I right?

Yes Sir.
Ohmic heating loss equation tells us Q= i*i*r, where i is current, r is circuit resistance.
Owing to this long distance power lines operate at very high voltage, which reduces current ( Power = Current*Voltage*Power factor). So supply side transformers step up the generation voltage at TG end (Normally 25 kV) to 400 or 765 kV. At this voltage current carried by line reduces, thereby reducing heat loss and efficient transfer of power over long distances. At utility end Grid or switchyards reduce the voltage to 220 kV or lower for short distance consumer distribution.
In future when high temperature Super conductors will be available, maybe need for such voltage lines can be done away with, but presently, this is best possible mode of power transmission.

vsdave2302 · May 23, 2016

anant_s said:
Yes Sir.
Ohmic heating loss equation tells us Q= i*i*r, where i is current, r is circuit resistance.
Owing to this long distance power lines operate at very high voltage, which reduces current ( Power = Current*Voltage*Power factor). So supply side transformers step up the generation voltage at TG end (Normally 25 kV) to 400 or 765 kV. At this voltage current carried by line reduces, thereby reducing heat loss and efficient transfer of power over long distances. At utility end Grid or switchyards reduce the voltage to 220 kV or lower for short distance consumer distribution.
In future when high temperature Super conductors will be available, maybe need for such voltage lines can be done away with, but presently, this is best possible mode of power transmission.

Exctly. Untill we get a super conductor type of very low resistance material, this is te only solution to deal with the problem.