

CHENNAI: In what is considered to be a major leap forward in the power technology space, Siemens managed to showcase the world’s first 1200 kV SF6 Circuit Breaker at its manufacturing facility in Aurangabad, of course surpassing China, another Asian giant, on that count.
At a function to dedicate the technology to the nation at the Siemens facility in Aurangabad on November 11, Armin Bruck, Managing Director, Siemens Ltd, said that Siemens had reinforced its commitment to partner India’s National Grid Agenda and to drive the country’s energy mission to far greater heights.
Later, addressing the media, he said, ``India’s growing economy needs an efficient power transmission system to meet the increasing demand for reliable and affordable power. With the 1200 kV system, the country will leapfrog into a new transmission age that will contribute to the nation’s economic growth, besides making electricity available to the far flung rural areas in the country.’’
``Spanning over long distances and with a transmission capacity of 8000 MW, the new 1200 kV system will have low transmission losses,’’ said A K Dixit, CEO, Energy Sector, Siemens Ltd, adding, ``The power transmission capacity of the 1200 kV line will be more than double as compared to the 800 kV line. This technology will make it possible to evacuate large amount of electric power from distant generating stations to load centres by interconnecting regional grids.’’ The new 1200 kV system will need less than half the space used by the existing 800 kV system with fewer numbers of lines for transmitting the same power, thus reducing the land footprint and overall environmental impact.
The 1200 kV Circuit Breaker was handed over to R. N. Nayak Chairman & MD, Power Grid Corporation of India Limited, at the Siemens manufacturing facility at Aurangabad.