Union power minister R.K. Singh, on February 7, 2022, launched “Powerthon-2022” in a virtual event.
A hackathon competition under Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), Powerthon-2022 aims to find technology driven solutions to solve the complex problems in power distribution and to ensure quality and reliable power supply.
In his keynote address R K Singh, said that this program is much needed in the power sector. “We will have a standing body and this innovation will be open and an ongoing scheme.”
He encouraged technologists to come forward not only with solutions to existing problems but also with other problem statements and ideas for reliable power supply. He said that ideas and concepts will be rewarded with licence and development of prototypes will also be fostered.
REC Ltd in collaboration with SINE, IIT Bombay, will manage Powerthon-2022, a hackathon competition wherein Technology Solution Providers (TSPs), start-ups, educational institutions, research institute, equipment manufacturers, state power utilities and other state and central power sector entities, shall be briefed on the current challenges/problem statements faced across the power distribution sector and invited to participate and showcase their technology driven solutions to solve the complex problems.
The hackathon will task participants to find innovative solutions based on advanced emerging technologies like AI/ML, Blockchain, IoT, VR/AR etc on nine (09) themes that have been identified after various discussions and consultations with 14 discoms across 9 states and have been categorized across nine broad aspects for pilot testing:
- Demand/Load Forecasting
- AT&C (Aggregate Technical & Commercial) Loss Reduction
- Energy Theft Detection
- Prediction of DT (Distribution Transformer) Failure
- Asset Inspection
- Vegetation Management
- Consumer Experience Enhancement
- RE (Renewable Energy) Integration
- Power Purchase Optimization
Also read: Assam, Meghalaya Become First States To Submit Proposals Under Revamped Distribution Scheme
The competition will bring together qualified mentors with TSPs, innovators, and other participants from across the nation to create teams that hack for the future and develop solutions which contribute to creating a much more vibrant and efficient electricity network.
Under the competition, an Expert Group and a Technical Committee is being constituted for overall evaluation of the Proof of concept (POC) and selection of TSP. The TSPs will then be actively mentored and a pilot run shall be conducted by the selected TSP for the thematic area. On the success of the pilot run, scale-up avenues will be pursued under the RDSS scheme.
For each Problem statement, 4-5 TSPS will be shortlisted based on their Proof of Concept (PoC) and for a pilot at discom test-bed. If the pilot run is successful, scale-up avenues will be pursued under the RDSS scheme.
