Central Electricity Authority approves Uniform Protection Protocol for users of Indian Grid
The protocol will be implemented on Pan India basis
National Power Committee
(NPC) in consultation with RPCs prepared the Uniform Protection Protocol
for users of Indian Grid for implementation on Pan India basis. The same
was approved in 15th National Power Committee Meeting held on
14.11.2024 at Nagpur, Maharashtra under the chairmanship of Shri Ghansyam
Prasad, Chairperson, CEA.
The meeting was attended by high level dignitaries
of Power sector: Hemant Jain, Member (GO&D), CEA, SR Narasimhan, Chairman
& Managing Director of Grid-India, Chairpersons of Regional Power
Committees/Technical Coordination Committees of RPCs, Member Secretaries of
RPCs and NPC, and Representatives from CTU and CEA.
As per IEGC, 2023, a uniform protection protocol to be
there for the users of the grid for proper co-ordination of protection
system in order to protect the equipment/system from abnormal operating
conditions, isolate the faulty equipment and avoid unintended operation of
protection system.
The Uniform protection protocol aims to ensure Grid
stability, reliability, security and also greatly supports the Government of
India’s vision for integration of 450 GW Renewable Energy into the National
Grid by 2030 and ambitious target of 2100 GW of Renewable energy by 2047.
Key features of the
Uniform Protection Protocol:
- Applicability: The
Uniform Protection Protocol shall be applicable to all Regional entities,
State/Central/Private Generating Companies/ Generating Stations, SLDCs,
RLDCs, CTU, STUs, Transmission Licensees and RPCs, connected at 220 kV
(132 kV for NER) and above.
- General
Philosophy of Protection System: The General
Philosophy of Protection System covers the Objective, Design Criterion and
other details.
- Protection
Schemes: This Protocol addresses the protection
requirements for thermal and hydro generating units, renewable energy
generations (REGs), battery energy storage system (BESS), substations,
transmission lines, and HVDC terminals.
- Monitoring
and Audits:
o
Disturbance
Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting: The
Purpose is to ensure that adequate disturbance data is available to facilitate
Grid event analysis. The analysis of power system disturbances is an important
function that monitors the performance of protection system, which can provide
information related to correct behavior of the system, adoption of safe
operating limits, isolation of incipient faults.
o
Protection
Audits: As per the Central
Electricity Authority (Grid Standards) Regulations, 2010, IEGC Grid Code
Regulations 2023 and approved SOP for Protection System Audit.
o
Performance
Monitoring: Monthly submission
of protection performance indices by users/entities to RPCs and RLDCs.
- Compliance
Monitoring: Non-compliance is reported to RPCs, and
unresolved violations are escalated to the Commission for suitable
directions.
During this meeting, various other key issues of Indian
Power Sector such as transition to Five (5) minute Interface Energy Meters
along with AMR system for PAN India, Unified Accounting Software for Energy
Transactions, SOP for VOIP connectivity, Unified Real Time Dynamic State
Measurement (URTDSM) project phase-II, MPLS Technology in ISTS Communication,
Solution towards SCADA & Real Time data mismatch, Establishment of State-of-
the-Art National Unified Network Management System (N-UNMS) in main &
backup configuration integrating all the regional UNMSs, SOPs for Protection
Audit, GD/GI/Tripping, Communication Audit of substations, Communication system
outage planning of Indian Power System were also deliberated and further course
of actions decided.