Transmission

The Transmission Strategic Business Unit (SBU-T) manages the construction, operation, and maintenance of EHT substations and transmission lines including that to EHT consumers. It is responsible for the development of transmission networks in the state to meet the requirements reliably and efficiently in coordination with all stakeholders.

Transmission SBU also exercises control over all load dispatch activities, with full responsibility for real-time management and matters about the protection system and communication system. Scheduling of generation, scheduling of annual maintenance, import of power from independent power producers and central generating stations, and export of power are managed by this SBU. Other important activities include monitoring of daily system statistics, implementing policy matters related to merit-order dispatching, communication planning, etc.

The construction, maintenance, and operation of the transmission system are carried out by the field offices comprising eleven Transmission Circles, one Division with ARU, two Transgrid Circle offices, and three System Operation Circles spread across the state.

The present transmission system of KSEBL comprises:-

 

Transmission System as on 31.03.2023
Voltage level (kV)	Transmission Lines (Ckt-km)	Substations (Nos)
400	177.026+1155.56*	5 *+1
320	130.346*	1 *
220	467.32*+3145.983	33
110	5460.85	176
66	1542.232	54
33	2349.412	160
Total	14428.729	430
Total Transformation Capacity(in MVA)		25555.70

* PGCIL Owned

The director (Transmission, System Operation, Planning & Safety) heads the Transmission SBU. Four Chief Engineers are reporting to the Director, as given below:

1. Chief Engineer (Transmission North)
2. Chief Engineer (Transmission South)
3. Chief Engineer (Transmission System Operation)
4. Chief Engineer (TransGrid)

The Northern Transmission Zone is headed by Chief Engineer (Transmission – North) with headquarters at Kozhikode. This Zone is administered through 5 Transmission Circles (Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, and Kannur), 15 Divisions, and 59 subdivisions. The Southern zone has headquarters at Thiruvananthapuram and is headed by the Chief Engineer (Transmission South). This zone has 6 Transmission Circles (Thiruvananthapuram, Kottarakkara, Alappuzha, Poovanthuruth, Thodupuzha, Kalamassery) and one Division with ARU (Pathanamthitta). There are 14 Divisions and 81 Subdivisions in the South zone.

System Operation is a separate function under the Transmission SBU. The System Operation wing is headed by Chief Engineer (Transmission System Operation) with headquarters at Kalamassery and has 3 System Operation Circles in Thiruvananthapuram, Kalamassery, and Kannur. Further, there are 6 Divisions, 37 Subdivisions, and 17 Sections under this wing.

Chief Engineer (TransGrid)
KSEBL had taken up an ambitious project named ‘TransGrid 2.0’, which is the long-term transmission plan aimed at enhancing the transmission capacity of the grid for meeting the demand for the next 25 years, improving reliability and quality of power, and reducing transmission losses.

Implementation of TransGrid 2.0 is entrusted with a separate team headed by Chief Engineer (TransGrid) with headquarters at Shoranur. Under the administrative control of the Chief Engineer having ARU status, two Deputy Chief Engineers in South and North regions with headquarters at Kalamassery and Shoranur respectively are executing the works under TransGrid.

The first phase of the TransGrid project is planned for execution during the 2017-2022 period and the second phase during 2019-2024. The works included in the 1st phase are grouped into 13 packages and comprise the construction of 12 substations and 2084 circuit kilometers of EHT lines. Out of these 12 substations, 4 are Air Insulated Substations (AIS) and the remaining are Gas Insulated Substations (GIS). Construction of 11 nos. of 220 kV substations included in Phase-1 has been completed and 1 no. 400kV substation is nearing completion.

14 substations (AIS - 2 Nos. and GIS - 12 Nos.) and 1930 circuit km of EHT lines are included in Phase II of the TransGrid project, which includes three Green Corridor Projects viz. Attappady Green Corridor Project, Ramakkalmedu Green Corridor Project, and North Green Corridor Project. MNRE has sanctioned a grant amounting to Rs. 138.71 crores for the Attappady and Ramakkalmedu Green Corridor projects under the Green Energy Corridor-II scheme of Govt of India.

The total cost for the two phases of the TransGrid project is estimated at ₹ 6,500 crores. The projects are being implemented with funding from KIIFB and kfW as well as a grant from PSDF and MNRE.

Chief Engineer (Transmission - System Operation)
Power System Management and Grid Operation through State Load Despatch Centre at Kalamassery including all allied functions are carried out by the Chief Engineer (Transmission System Operation). Load despatch activities include generation scheduling, maintenance scheduling, scheduling of power from Independent Power Producers (IPP) and Central Generating Stations (CGS) on the long term as well as daily, economic load dispatching, merit order dispatching, unit commitment policy, real-time load restrictions as and when necessary, fixing of merit order for under frequency tripping and remote switching operation from SLDC, etc. The market operation, a function of the Distribution Business Unit, is also carried out at present through Chief Engineer (TSO). The operation of SLDC is managed by the Deputy Chief Engineer (Grid & Office) who also assists the CE (TSO) in office functions.

The Deputy Chief Engineers of System Operation Circles at Kalamassery, Kannur, and Thiruvananthapuram are responsible for the protection, communication, SCADA, and meter testing functions. Relay Subdivisions carry out routine/pre-commissioning/commissioning/ testing and troubleshooting of all types of relays and panels in the Substations and Generating Stations, while PET Subdivisions carry out the testing of all power equipment in Substations for condition monitoring and life assessment. Meter Testing Subdivisions carry out the testing of meters in Substations and Generating Stations and the Communication wing maintains the communication network of KSEBL.

Power System Engineering
This wing is primarily entrusted with conducting Load flow Studies using Simulation software for finding out the technical feasibility of proposals for Construction/Upgradation/capacity enhancement of Substations, Lines, and power evacuation proposals for new/existing projects as received from the field. Intra-state transmission planning and fine-tuning in consultation with the Transmission wing and Generation wing along with contributing to Inter-State Transmission System Planning (ISTS) studies of CTU. Also, this wing is entrusted with the Power Evacuation studies for the LTA/ MTOA applications as well as for the upcoming renewable projects/ other major projects as and when required.

Earth Mat designing for Substations, Conducting quarterly loss studies of Transmission networks at different voltage levels, Conducting reactive power compensation studies in the KSEBL Grid, Conducting short circuit studies for finding out the fault level of substations and generating stations in the KSEBL, etc are also entrusted with PSE wing.

Preparation/ updation and publishing of Single Line Diagram and Geo-referenced Grid Map of KSEBL transmission network, Assessment, and publishing of spare Power availability in substations for providing feasibility for power requirement up to 1MVA to applicants through HT Green Channel facility, Collection, Compilation, and analysis of auxiliary energy consumption of all substations of KSEBL up to 33 kV for facilitating annual energy auditing and accounts statement preparation, Analyze the Monthly Operating Review (MOR) of Substations and Generating Stations for monitoring Transformer loading and Healthiness of equipment and taking follow up action, Coding of substations and lines and maintaining a repository for the same, etc are the other major functions of PSE.

Management of Web-based business modules named PSEM which provides the centralized data warehouse for transmission asset management and operating statistics management in the KSEBL transmission system is also a major work of PSE. Matters related to CEA, SRPC, TCC, CERC, and other Central and Southern Regional Forums are also handled by the PSE wing.

State Load Despatch Centre (SLDC)

State Load Despatch Centre (SLDC) is responsible for regulating the operation of generating stations by the real-time demand and power availability through interstate transmission corridors. The SLDC comprises a main control center located at Kalamassery and a backup center at Thiruvananthapuram. The main SLD control center is directly connected to the SRLDC, Bangalore, and the backup center is connected to SRLDC, Bangalore via Backup SLDC, Delhi. These control centers have several servers provided for a wide range of applications from real-time operation to storage of historical data and retrieving the data for analysis/report generation to assist load forecasting etc.

The main SLDC at Kalamassery has visibility to all the grid-connected substations of PGCIL and KSEB in Kerala, which include all generation stations under KSEBL, all 400kV substations under PGCIL/KSEBL, all 220kV substations under PGCIL/KSEBL, all major tie stations and other important 110kV and 66kV substations of KSEBL. The major solar stations connected are NTPC (92MW), THDC (50MW), CIAL (38MW) and Ambalathara (50MW).

Real-time data from generating stations and substations are received at MCC and BCC through Remote Terminal Units (RTUs). There are a total of 73 telemetered stations. 38 RTUs are communicating over IEC 101 protocol and remaining over IEC 104 protocol.