Power sector

• Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) for the power sector in developing countries:
  
  A study was made of the practice of IRP in the power sector of developing countries. The integrated resource planning (IRP) approach is one that considers both supply and demand-side options to meet the need for a resource, while minimising the costs accruing to the firm and to society. Our study focuses on IRP as a tool for the power sector in view of the existing problems and the ongoing reforms in developing countries. It looks at the advantages that IRP would afford, juxtaposing these with the barriers to such a planning process. While power sectors are being restructured and market-driven systems put into place in developing countries, the existing problems have not been addressed adequately. IRP is required because problems – chiefly inadequate resources, poor access for large proportions of the population in many places, and environmental degradation – necessitate it. These issues, in turn, force decision-makers to make difficult choices; IRP assists in making these choices systematically and transparently. Reform and restructuring are affording the sector new opportunities for adopting better planning practice through the formulation of new policies and regulations, and the development of new institutions. Appropriate policy agents and instruments can enable the IRP approach to be usefully employed. [Click here].
   
• Karnataka's power sector:
  
  During the decade that it has been in operation, the Asian REI has been compiling and analysing data pertaining to electricity supply and demand in Karnataka. Apart from information easily available (for example, in Annual Reports of the state's utilities), data such as the state's generating capacity as it varied during the year, the loads actually met by the system, and the electricity fed to transformer centres catering to irrigation pumpsets, were collected and analysed. (Abstracts of reports and papers are included in the Analysis section of our Activities).
  In the light of the state-wise restructuring/reforms taking place, a discussion paper on the power sector in the state of Karnataka was prepared [Click here]. It gives a brief overview of the power system. Information on the steps taken as part of the reform process, the number of consumers and connections, system load met, estimated transmission and distribution (T&D) losses, and tariffs (existing and proposed) have been included. A special annexure on the possible reduction of T&D losses and the costs involved, is also appended [Click here]. More importantly, a schematic representation of the system as a whole has been drawn up, with links between stakeholders on the basis of responsibilities and activities required. On this basis, the problems encountered have been discussed and ways forward suggested, considering the objectives of each entity and practicable strategies to meet these goals.
   
• Load flow methods for radial distribution networks:
  
  The Asian REI has been sponsoring candidates for Fellowships at the Energy Systems Analysis department of the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (See Training section). A study of distribution systems was carried out by one of the Fellows. A distribution system has certain distinguishing features -- unbalanced loads, un-transposed lines, single-phase and two-phase laterals -- which make it somewhat difficult to analyse as compared to a transmission system. In this study, various load flow methods for distribution systems have been reviewed and applied on a sample eight-bus system, and their performance compared for various parameters. For the paper, published in IEEE 2003 [Click here].
  
  Comparative costs of electricity generation in India:
  
  An estimation of the costs per unit of electricity from the existing and proposed nuclear (pressurised heavy water reactor) power plants in India has been made, for the purpose of comparison with other generation plants. While such costs have been estimated earlier (as shown in the Analysis section of our Activities), the need for newer analysis has arisen because of the proposal to build more reactors. An additional reason for the study is that neither the proposed capital costs of nuclear plants nor those actually incurred for earlier construction are easily available.[Click here].