TGNPDCL Takes Steps to Improve Voltage, Reduce Losses

The TGNPDCL caters to around 14 lakh agricultural pump sets. Since agricultural motors create a high inductive load on rural power feeders, the power factor tends to decline, resulting in increased current flow and voltage drops.

To address these issues, the TGNPDCL has installed 303 capacitor banks of two MVAR capacity and 89 capacitor banks of one MVAR capacity at 33/11 kV substations during the last two-and-a-half years, Reddy said.

He stated that these measures are aimed at ensuring quality and stable voltage supply to the farming community while significantly reducing technical power losses. In particular, capacitor banks have been installed at substations and 11 kV feeders to locally compensate for the reactive power demand caused by agricultural motors.

The CMD said that the installation of 392 capacitor banks is providing relief to the capacity of Power Transformers (PTRs). This has helped avoid the immediate need for installing additional power transformers at several locations.

He further stated that the capacitor banks installed at identified locations have reduced the requirement for 66 additional PTRs, resulting in an estimated saving of around Rs.21 crore.

Capacitor banks installed at 11 kV feeders have also contributed significantly to reducing technical power losses. The CMD stated that the initiative has resulted in an estimated reduction in technical losses worth approximately Rs.82 crore, thereby making a positive contribution towards improving the overall efficiency of the distribution network.

Since technical losses are closely linked to current flow, reducing reactive current through capacitor banks helps lower the current carried by the feeders and consequently reduces I²R losses.

Along with the installation of two MVAR capacitor banks at the substation level, TGNPDCL has also installed 600 kVAR capacitor banks at the 11 kV feeder level. Reddy explained that local reactive power compensation reduces voltage drop along the lines and particularly improves the voltage profile at the tail-end portions of long feeders.

As a result, agricultural pump sets as well as other consumers can receive a more stable and improved voltage supply. The installation of capacitor banks has also resulted in a significant improvement in the power factor at substations. By supplying reactive power locally, the amount of reactive power drawn from the grid is reduced, thereby improving the utilization of the existing distribution infrastructure.

Reddy stated that special attention is being given to preventing low-voltage problems in agricultural feeders. The combined use of capacitor banks and voltage boosters is helping improve voltage levels and provide better-quality power supply to farmers.

In areas with forest terrain and long-distance power lines, establishing a new substation for every low-voltage problem may not always be technically or practically feasible. In such locations, voltage boosters are being used wherever required to address voltage-related problems effectively.

As part of these measures, a total of eight voltage boosters have been installed in forest and remote areas in Komaram Bheem Asifabad, Bhadradri Kothagudem and Mancherial districts, the CMD said.

These measures are intended to strengthen the distribution network in geographically challenging areas, improve voltage at the tail ends of long feeders and ensure reliable and quality power supply to agricultural consumers and other consumers, Reddy said.

Reddy emphasized that TGNPDCL is adopting technology-based and cost-effective solutions such as capacitor banks and voltage boosters, along with new substations wherever necessary, to improve voltage quality, reduce technical losses and make optimum use of the existing power distribution infrastructure