Paper: GS – III, Subject: Economy, Topic: Infrastructure – Energy, Issue: India’s Renewable Power and the Transmission Grid Challenge.
Context:
Solar and wind power have become India’s cheapest sources of new electricity, costing nearly ₹3.5 per unit. However, many completed renewable-energy projects cannot supply electricity because transmission lines and substations are not ready. India must therefore expand renewable generation and grid infrastructure together.
Key Takeaways:
Explanation:
Major Problems:
- Mismatch in project timelines: Renewable plants are constructed much faster than transmission lines. For example, a solar park may be completed in Rajasthan within 18 months, but it cannot supply electricity if the transmission corridor connecting it to demand centres is still under construction.
- Underuse of transmission lines: Solar projects generate mainly during the day. Their transmission connections remain partly unused during evenings and nights.
- Location mismatch: Large solar and wind projects are often located far from cities and industries where electricity demand is concentrated. This requires long-distance transmission.
- Variable generation: Solar output falls after sunset, while wind generation changes with weather conditions. Without storage and balancing arrangements, the grid may face sudden shortages or excess supply.
- Limited substation capacity: Even when transmission lines exist, nearby substations may not have enough capacity to receive and distribute additional renewable electricity.
- Old transmission technology: Conventional conductors may sag during high temperatures, reducing their ability to carry electricity precisely when summer demand is high.
- Poor coordination: Renewable parks, storage facilities, transmission corridors and substations are often planned separately, leading to delays and stranded power.
Better Use of Existing Infrastructure:
- Batteries placed near solar and wind farms can store surplus electricity and supply it during evenings and peak-demand hours. This could help accommodate nearly 400 GW of additional clean energy.
- Old or high-cost coal plants often operate below capacity but possess strong transmission connections. Renewable projects located nearby can share these links and potentially support around 100 GW of additional capacity.
- Projects near existing substations can be connected more quickly and cheaply. With batteries, such locations could enable over 100 GW of renewable power.
- Replacing conventional wires with high-temperature, low-sag conductors can nearly double carrying capacity without constructing new towers or acquiring fresh land.
- Together, storage, shared connections, substation-based projects and reconductoring could unlock nearly 1,000 GW within the existing grid network.
Policy Measures:
- New transmission lines should use advanced conductors and be designed to integrate storage.
- Renewable zones, substations and transmission corridors should be planned together.
- States should require suitable renewable projects to include battery storage.
- Procurement should consider long-term efficiency, not merely the lowest initial cost.
Conclusion:
India’s renewable-energy challenge is no longer limited to producing cheap electricity; it also involves transporting and balancing it reliably. Better use of existing infrastructure, storage and modern conductors can reduce delays. Coordinated grid planning is essential for affordable and round-the-clock clean power.
Source: (The Hindu)
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