Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL) has upgraded Assam’s New Mariani substation, a government release said.
The substation has been upgraded from 220kV switching station to a 400/220 kV substation with 2×500 MVA transformation capacity, 2×125 MVA (reactive) power compensation along with other associated bays under North Eastern Region Strengthening Scheme (NERSS-VI) project.
The New Mariani substation was originally commissioned in March 2013 in Jorhat district with 20 MVAR reactive power compensation capacity. With this upgradation, connectivity at 400kV voltage level between 400kV Misa substation, 400kV New Mariani substation and 400kV Kohima substation has been established.
First 400kV substation
The New Mariani substation has now become the first 400kV substation of upper Assam. It will will serve as a key station for catering to augmentation of power in upper Assam, Nagaland, Manipur and the entire North Eastern Region. This capacity addition will add efficiency and robustness, leading to supply of reliable power, the release said.
Challenges
The project has been commissioned in a time-bound schedule despite limitations in wake of COVID-19 pandemic, difficult soil and weather conditions. The bays and additional 400kV D/C line section for upgradation of Misa-New Mariani line from 220kV to 400kV level are now under commercial operation.
The project has been commissioned as part of “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav” marking 75 years of India’s Independence, the release noted.
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High system availability
With the adoption of latest technological tools and techniques, enhanced use of automation and digital solutions, PGCIL has been able to maintain average transmission system availability of over 99 per cent, the release said. PGCIL currently has 172,104 ckm of transmission lines, and 264 substations with aggregate transformation capacity of 464,292 MVA of transformation capacity.
Featured photograph sourced from psuconnect.in
