US-based CTC Global Corporation has developed and owns the rights to the highly efficient ACCC (aluminium conductor composite core) technology. CTC caters to the Indian market with strategic tie-ups with Sterlite Power and Apar. CTC Global is expanding its footprint in India with projects from both government and private entities. We have Dave Bryant and Hitesh Mundhada jointly speaking on CTC Global’s journey in India on the road ahead. An interview by Venugopal Pillai.
CTC Global’s first ACCC® conductor installation in India is now nearly five years old. How has been your journey so far? How many installations have you completed till date in India?
Introducing new technology to a very conservative industry is both challenging and rewarding. We’ve enjoyed the experience and the satisfaction of demonstrating the ACCC conductor’s numerous benefits at a critical time in history. To date, more than 12 power utilities in India have chosen ACCC over 65 projects ranging from 22kV to 220kV and representing around 1,500 ckm of lines.
Sterlite and Apar have been your longstanding partners in India. Are you likely to have more partners in the foreseeable future?
This may be possible at some future date as demand grows, but Apar and Sterlite are doing a fantastic job of delivering very high quality products on time and with very competitive pricing. They are also doing a great job supporting our growing customer base during the engineering and installation phases.
How has been the response from Indian power utilities, especially the state government-owned ones?
Outstanding! OPTCL, UPPTCL, PGCIL, GED, WESETCL, KPTCL, TSTRANSCO, CESU, KSEB, JUSNL, MSETCL and BSPTCL have selected high-capacity, energy-efficient ACCC conductor on their projects. Many of these utilities are also repeat users of ACCC which further endorses the numerous benefits of ACCC conductor.
How has been your experience with private utilities like Tata, Torrent, etc?
Our experience with all of our customers has been very gratifying. We share lessons learned and help ensure project success from the design phase through project energization. It’s a matter of pride for us as Torrent Power, one of the early adopters of ACCC are now working on their ninth ACCC project.
You had once discussed the cost savings in adopting ACCC technology for overloaded 33kV distribution lines in India. Please talk through the same.
It is no secret that demand for affordable and reliable electric power continues to grow and that access is key to growing any nation’s economy. While the Indian Government’s initiative “Power for all by 2022” will require increased generation capacity, the use of ACCC conductor will also enable the upgradation of distribution, sub-transmission and transmission lines throughout the country. The ability of the ACCC conductor to double the capacity of the existing T&D infrastructure is particularly important as developing new right-of-way is becoming much more difficult and costly. Additionally, technical losses in India are among the highest in the world. The ACCC conductor’s ability to reduce line losses by 30% or more is hugely important.
Globally, what is the total portfolio (completed or under construction) of ACCC conductor lines? Which are the dominant countries or geographies?
Approximately 50,000 km of ACCC conductor is currently in service at approximately 500 projects in nearly 50 countries.
Quickly take us through the cost and benefit of ACCC conductors versus conventional options like ACSR and AAAC.
ASCR and AAAC conductors have been in use for well over a century and have served us well, but times have changed. Demand is growing and the existing grid is highly stressed. While the ACCC conductor is capable of carrying higher levels of current – as are other high-capacity, low-sag (HCLS) conductors – the ACCC conductor can do this with greatly reduced line losses. While the ACCC conductor is approximately 2.5 to 3.0 times more expensive than ACSR and AAAC conductors, its ability to deliver more power using existing structures serves not only to reduce upfront capital costs on reconductor projects, the ACCC conductor’s improved efficiency and reduced line losses also serves to reduce fuel consumption (and associated GHG emissions), it also frees up generation capacity that is otherwise wasted.
In 2016, American Electric Power upgraded an existing 345kV (double bundled) 355-km ACSR line with ACCC conductor. In the first 12 months they saved 300,000 MWh of electricity through reduced line losses which also served to free up 34 mw of generation. The cost of the wire was far less than the cost of building 34 mw of generation. The reduction in fuel use also saved them money and over 200,000 metric tonnes of CO2 which is the equivalent of removing 34,000 cars from the road. Think about it. Deliver more energy and help clean up the air. Can you imagine the cost of buying 34,000 electric cars to accomplish the same objective?!
China, where CTC Global even has a manufacturing presence, is an important market. What is the current size of China in CTC Global’s worldwide portfolio?
To help ensure that Chinese utilities have access to “real” ACCC® conductor (and not a lower quality lookalike product) CTC established a joint venture core manufacturing plant with NARI – a wholly owned subsidiary of China State Grid. The core production plant is growing to serve China’s growing appetite for high-capacity, energy-efficient conductors.
How many manufacturing partners does CTC Global currently have globally, and in how many countries are they located?
CTC Global currently has 22 authorized conductor manufacturing partners, worldwide. You can find them on our website www.ctcglobal.com
Coming back to India, does CTC Global have plans to set up a manufacturing facility here? Does India hold appeal also because CTC Global has been catering to neighbouring countries like Bangladesh and Nepal?
As demand grows, CTC Global would like to explore the possibility of producing ACCC conductor core in India to serve India and possibly other countries in the South Asian region.
Lastly, how important is India as a market for ACCC conductors and what would be your thrust areas? Does the 400kV and 765kV power transmission regime in India hold appeal to you?
CTC Global is highly committed to serve India. While most of our projects in India, to date, have been in the 66kV to 220kV range, we are doing distribution and EHV projects up to 500kV in several other countries. We are confident that the ACCC conductor’s attributes demonstrated globally will broaden our product offerings in India.
