Quality power to be a reality soon

Rs 563-crore project expected to be completed by March 2014

The Bangalore Electricity Supply Company’s (Bescom) ambitious project to automate its distribution network in the City is taking shape with plans already having been drawn up for the construction of an integrated control centre at HSR Layout.

Bescom has embarked upon a project to automate the distribution network for monitoring, control and operation of the 11kV network in Bangalore and officials said that once implemented, distribution automation system (DAS) will enhance the reliability and quality of power supply.

The cost of the project is estimated at Rs 563-crore and the Japan International Co-Operation Agency (JICA) will extend a financial assistance of over Rs 400 crore, a source said. The Bescom has already begun work on the project expected to be completed by March 2014.

Management consultants

“We have already begun the work on laying lines and we expect the project to be complete in about 18 months time,”L Ravi, General Manager-DAS (Distribution Automation System), Bescom told Deccan Herald.

He said KEMA of United States and Central Power Research Institute, Bangalore, have been appointed as management consultants for the project. Another Bescom official said that the project, once completed, will help provide a more assured quality and reliable power supply.

“It will improve quality of service management and customer satisfaction as it will avoid loss of time for fault location and restoration due to manual operation,” the official said.

Revenue-generating

Besides, the project is expected to give Bescom an increased revenue through improved reliability of power supply, which is expected to result in increased energy sales.

While the project will integrate all IT-related activities on a common distribution management system which will help improve network control management, the control centre that will come up at HSR Layout, will be the place where Bescom will monitor and control its activities.

“The project will also help us do an online energy audit, which will also help in increasing efficiency,” another official explained.

The scope of the works in the project include drawing of 11kV new underground and overhead lines, providing 11kV cable, retrofitting of existing RMU Operating Devices, providing motorised mechanism et al, to suit the system for distribution automation.

Bescom on Friday invited  tenders for the construction of the integrated control centre building at HSR Layout. Ravi said the Rs 17-crore building is central to the plans to automating the network, and the work should be completed by the end of this year.