Breathing new life into ageing power infrastructure

The state of Gujarat contributes to about 18 percent of India’s industrial production. It has over 800 large industries and 450,000 micro, small and medium enterprises engaged in a wide range of manufacturing and trade segments.

To support its infrastructure, the state has an installed power generation capacity of 35,000 megawatt (MW) with ageing assets. Ageing power infrastructure can be a key concern in the power industry. It causes low operational efficiency, higher maintenance costs, and could increase the number of outages.

Tailor-made retrofit solution implemented in one fifth of the time taken for similar installations

Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited (GSECL), a leading power generation company in India owns 10 power generation plants in the state. An inspection of the switchyard at one of the power plants revealed inefficiencies in operation of the disconnectors reaching the end of their life, leading to unreliable performance during maintenance activities. This also meant a safety hazard for the personnel working on such operations.

“To address the challenge, Hitachi ABB Power Grids offered an easy-to-install disconnector retrofit service solution using existing on-site components that was implemented within just three days without additional infrastructure investments,” says Rupinder Singh, Hub Business Unit Manager, South Asia, High-Voltage Products, within the Hitachi ABB Power Grids business. “A standard installation like this would normally require plant shutdown of up to 15 days and civil construction. The solution is robust, with in-built safety features and expected to deliver superior on-site performance.”

“We are extremely pleased with the retrofit service solution that Hitachi ABB Power Grids provided,” said the representative from GSECL. “The operations are trouble-free and efficient and avoid costly infrastructure investments. GSECL would like to replicate similar retrofit service solution for the other power plants in the Gujarat state.”

Broad experience in high-voltage service

Hitachi ABB Power Grids offers a wide portfolio of high-voltage services that extend the operating life of an asset while reducing maintenance costs. As high-voltage equipment ages, various maintenance procedures can be performed to keep them in their original new condition. With service experts available all around the globe, our customers always have access to competence and latest technologies in the field of high-voltage service.