Tripping, a common reason cited by the electricity distribution companies for power outages, could soon be a thing of the past in Saurashtra.
The Paschim Gujarat Vij Company Ltd (PGVCL), the state-run power distribution company that supplies electricity in 12 districts of Saurashtra and Kutch, has adopted a new technology called a medium voltage covered conductor (MVCC) to reduce the frequency of tripping.
The company aims to cover the entire network of its 11KV line by March 2025. In this project, the 11KV conductors will be coated with XLPE (cross-linked polyethylene plastic) which will have an additional cover of high-density polyethylene (HDPE). PGVCL has procured the material and a team has started the work.
Earlier, PGVCL had carried out a pilot project in the Mangrol division and it was a runaway success. The company claims it has not received a single complaint of an outage caused by tripping in four years in Mangrol.
PGVCL has also received a grant of Rs 860 crore under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) from the union ministry of power. This scheme was launched by the government of India for electricity reforms and to transform the power distribution sector.
Normally, the 11KV line or the high-tension wire can electrocute a person standing even two feet away. Any fault on this 11KV line can disrupt the power supply to consumers.
The fault can happen due to various reasons: These include electric wire breaking down because of erosion or any atmospheric reason, a tree falling on it, animals like monkeys jumping on it, or snapping due to strong winds. The electricity supply automatically stops to avoid any accident and this phenomenon is called tripping.
Tripping is a safety mechanism but its frequency increases the maintenance cost and disrupts power supply. The Saurashtra-Kutch region is a difficult territory where PGVCL supplies power in forest, coastal and desert regions.
In many places, the electricity lines pass through coconut, mango, and chikoo orchards which farmers oppose. When the conductors get coated, they prevent tripping because of inter-collision (colliding of one wire with another) and snapping (happening due to corrosion).
PGVCL chief engineer RJ Vala said: “This design has multiple coatings and it increases the life of the conductor and wire. It saves the conductor and the wire from the harsh environment.”
The field staff will decide the priority areas from where a large number of complaints of tripping are reported. Coastal areas, forest areas, Jyotigram Yojna areas, urban and industrial areas, and important consumers like waterworks will be covered first.
To start with, the team has started the work at Keshod and Madhavpur sub-stations. “This new technology will strengthen our network, increase reliability, and reduce power interruption. We are the first discom in Gujarat to start a pilot project four years back,” Vala added.
