India powers up energy network for its hotspots

New Delhi: The government has begun discussions on ways of ensuring that power projects, including those fuelled by renewable energy, can function during the kind of heatwaves that have swept India this summer, with temperatures nudging 50 degrees Celsius, said a top government official.

"The Central Electricity Authority is already on the job in the sector of wind turbine generation," the official said. A joint study group report had recommended raising their heat tolerance level to 45 degrees Celsius or higher, he said.

Most wind turbines in India are designed to operate at 32-40 degrees Celsius, according to an industry executive. Summer temperatures in the north have hit records, lifting the peak power demand to 250 GW on May 30, compared with 243 GW last year in September.


Solar panels will need to have greater tolerance, with both cells and modules needing to be designed to withstand higher peak temperatures.

'Higher Standards in Gear'
Equipment should be rated for higher ambient temperatures of above 40 degree Celsius and have insulation materials that can withstand them without degrading, said Sambitosh Mohapatra, partner and leader, power and ESG, PwC India. Equipment should also have systems that can monitor conditions for critical parameters like temperature, load and vibration, he added.

India plans to have 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030.

The official cited above said the transmission equipment industry has moved to higher standards to deal with such temperatures. "On the transmission side, the geographical temperatures are taken into consideration while designing equipment based on years of data," said an official who did not want to be identified.

PwC's Mohapatra said ensuring adequate ventilation in substations and transformer yards would be necessary to overcome high temperature-related issues.

According to a Power Grid Corp of India official, the utility has a robust system that's been designed to work in high temperatures. "Advance preparations are made for the summer season, when increase in temperature generally results in increase in load," the official said. Proactive measures like regular patrolling and deployment of thermovision cameras are in place to detect any rise in temperature as part of several such initiatives, he said.