Centre approves uniform protection protocol for users of Indian grid

NEW DELHI: The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) on Saturday said it has approved the uniform protection protocol for users of the Indian grid for implementation on a pan-India basis.

The protocol is for the users of the grid for proper coordination of the protection system in order to protect the equipment/system from abnormal operating conditions, isolate the faulty equipment and avoid unintended operation of the protection system.

It aims to ensure grid stability, reliability, security and also support the government’s vision for integration of 450 GW renewable energy into the national grid by 2030 and an ambitious target of 2,100 GW of Renewable energy by 2047, said the Ministry of Power in a statement.

The National Power Committee (NPC), in consultation with regional power committees (RPCs), has prepared the protocol for the users.

The key features of the protocol are applicability, general philosophy of protection system, protection schemes, monitoring and audits and disturbance monitoring, analysis and reporting, performance monitoring and compliance monitoring.

During a meeting of high-level officials from the sector, various other key issues of the Indian power sector were discussed.

Meanwhile, Nepal's power will now reach Bangladesh via the Indian grid. This marks the first trilateral power transaction which has been carried out through the Indian grid. The start of this power flow from Nepal to Bangladesh through India is expected to boost sub-regional connectivity in the power sector, according to an official statement.

As India is poised to see a surge in energy demand than any other country over the next decade owing to its sheer size and scale of rising demand from all sectors, the country’s power transmission sector is set for significant growth due to ambitious renewable energy targets.

The Central Electricity Authority expects $110 billion in investments over FY22-32E, as electricity demand surges amid ambitious renewable energy capacity addition targets.

According to Japanese brokerage Nomura, India's power demand is likely to grow at a CAGR of more than 7 per cent over the financial year 2024 and 2027.