CHENNAI: In a bid to reduce power outages and modernise the state’s electricity distribution network, a team of senior officials from the Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (TNPDCL) and the energy department visited Ahmedabad in Gujarat recently to study the power distribution system of Torrent Power Limited.
Based on the findings, TNPDCL is preparing an infrastructure improvement programme that will focus on strengthening substations, upgrading ageing transformers and other critical equipment, introducing GIS-based mapping of the distribution network and improving feeder management to reduce power interruptions.
A senior official to TNIE that the utility is planning to integrate GIS mapping of substations and other distribution assets with its Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. The digital platform will map the entire network – from substations to consumer meters – helping engineers quickly identify fault locations, speed up the release of new low-tension service connections and resolve consumer complaints more efficiently”.
“TNPDCL cannot adopt the Gujarat model entirely because the electricity demand in Tamil Nadu is much higher. Ahmedabad has a peak demand of around 1,500 MW, whereas Chennai alone crossed 5,000 MW during the recent summer. However, the visit helped us understand their transformer management practices, feeder segregation, and other technical aspects that could be adapted to suit Tamil Nadu,” the official said.
TNPDCL also plans to form special teams to map ageing 33 kV and 11 kV underground cable networks and identify vulnerable stretches that require preventive maintenance or replacement. A detailed digital database of cables laid beneath concrete roads, storm-water drains and other critical locations will also be created to help field staff locate faults quickly.
