RENOVATION & MODERNIZATION AND LIFE EXTENSION OF SWITCHYARD

ASSOCIATED WITH HYDRO ELECTRIC POWER PROJECTS (HEPPs)

Faraz, Bhaavya Pandey, Yogendra Swarnkar, S.K. Ray Mohapatra

PSE&TD Division, Central Electricity Authority

ABSTRACT

Since independence there has been phenomenal growth in Indian Power sector including
integration of huge quantum of generation from renewable sources. At the same time the
complexity of Indian Power system has increased many folds. The reduction in share of
Hydro generation (including pumped storage) in total Installed Capacity and the improper
thermal-hydro mix is a matter of concern. In recent years, the Renovation & Modernization
Uprating and Life Extension (RMU&LE) of Hydro Electric Power Projects (HEPPs),
resulting in capacity addition, has become commercially feasible and has gained attention due
to technological development in last couple of decades. RMU&LE of HEPPs need to be
studied properly along with associated switchyard in order to extend life, to improve
availability, reliability, overall efficiency and performance of the Power Plant.

In the paper, some of the major technical considerations in connection with Renovation &
Modernization (R&M) and Life Extension (LE) of switchyard associated with HEPP, like
Normal current rating, Short time current rating, insulation co-ordination & Basic Insulation
Level of existing equipment; switching scheme, pollution level, suitability of existing
earthing system meeting the safety requirement, protection & control system, present
Regulations/ Statutory provisions / Standards etc., have been discussed.

Key words: Renovation & Modernization Uprating and Life Extension, Basic Insulation
Level Pumped Storage Scheme, Energy Storage Device

1. INTRODUCTION

Since independence there has been phenomenal growth in Indian Power sector. The Installed
capacity of about 307GW (as on October 2016) is catering to a peak demand of about 135-
155GW and meeting energy requirement of about 3100-3300MU per day. Huge generation
capacity addition with Phenomenal Growth of Private Sector Generation, commensurate
expansion & strengthening of the associated Transmission & Distribution network, expansion
of electricity market, integration of huge quantum of generation from renewable sources,
operation as one synchronous National Grid and cross border interconnection have increased
the complexity of Indian Power system many folds. The absence of adequate energy storage
device, reduction in hydro generation, integration of huge quantum of generation from
renewable sources in the total Installed Capacity has become a matter of concern for system
operator to maintain safety & security of the grid. Addition of Hydro generation (including
generation from pumped storage scheme) / adequate provision of energy storage devices /
combination of both is the need of the hour for balancing the uncertainty /variability in
generation from Renewable Sources.
In India, the total installed capacity has reached about 307GW (contribution from thermal
source is 70%, Hydro 14%, Renewable 14% and Nuclear 2%) as on October 2016. The total
Hydro potential in the country is around 150GW, whereas only about 40GW (about 27%) has
been harnessed. The share of Hydro generation has declined over the years and has reached
14% (43GW) of Installed Capacity resulting in undesirable thermal-hydro mix and difficulty
in meeting peak demand. The ratio of thermal to hydro generation has reached 70:14. In
coming years, the share of hydro generation is likely to reduce further and the resultant
thermal-hydro mix may not be good for grid operation as more emphasis is being laid on
development of generation from Renewable sources to achieve the target of 40% contribution
of total generation from Renewable sources by 2022.

Hydropower being a perennial, cheap, in-exhaustible and environment friendly source, the
development of hydropower is the need of the hour. The normative operative life of Hydro
Electric power plant is 35 years (as per CERC norms) beyond which it normally requires Life
extension through renovation. The Hydro Power plant commissioned in sixties and seventies
have completed their normal service life. However, their civil structures can still serve for
another 50 to 60 years. In view of technological development in last couple of decades, the
RMU&LE, resulting in capacity addition of such plants, has become commercially feasible
and has gained attention. RMU&LE of HEPPs need to be studied properly along with
associated switchyard.

In the paper, some of the major technical considerations in connection with R&M and LE of
switchyard associated with HEPPs, like Normal current rating, Short time current rating,
insulation co-ordination & Basic Insulation Level of existing equipment; switching scheme,
pollution level, suitability of existing earthing system meeting the safety requirement,
protection & control system, present Regulations / Statutory provisions / Standards etc., have
been discussed.

2. RENOVATION, MODERNIZATION AND UPRATING (RM&U) AND

RESIDUAL LIFE EXTENSION (LE) OF HEPPs

RM&U and LE of existing old Hydro Plants looks to be a viable solution for capacity
addition as strict environmental norms, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) issues,
compensation etc. have almost blocked / stopped the development of Hydro Electric Projects.

The hydro projects serve not only energy requirement, but also other needs like agriculture,
flood control, environmental need. Every unit of power generated by a hydro plant results in
reduction in equivalent carbon emission from fossil fuel based Power Plants. The new project
may cost around Rs 8-10 crores per MW, while RMU may cost just about Rs. 0.7 crores per
MW.

Hydropower policy for accelerated Hydropower development including renovation,

modernization of existing Hydraulic power plants was formulated in India in 1998.
Renovation & Modernization, Uprating and Life Extension (RMU&LE) of the existing old
hydro electric power projects is considered as a cost effective option to ensure efficiency with
improved reliability and availability. Under the hydro R&M programme following number of
schemes have been completed / planned for completion through Life Extension, Uprating and
Restoration and most of them are in State Sector.

Plan Period No. of Aggregate Accrued Cost incurred /

R&M Installed Benefit Estimated cost
Scheme Capacity (MW) (MW) (in Crores)
10th Plan (2002-07) 32 4337 829 Rs 1029
11th Plan (2007-12) 18 4821 735 Rs 295
12th Plan (2012-17) 23 4077 567 Rs1373
2017-22 52 9288 3609 -

By undertaking timely RM&U & Life extension programme, the generating plant can be
made to operate for another extended period of 20 to 25 years. After completion of normative
operative life of hydro electric power plant (35 years), Life extension through renovation can
be taken up to enhance / uprate the capacity of the plant. R&M works and life extension
programme in respect of generating units, which have completed more than 30-35 years of
service life, should be firmed up based on RLA studies. Uprating / upgrading, if feasible
should also be taken up along with life extension programme. It is possible to uprate the
generating capacity of existing units by 10 to 30% based on the water availability, operating
margin and technological upgradation.

3. R&M AND LE OF SWITCHYARDS ASSOCIATED WITH HEPPs

Increase in Reliability & normative life, higher generation due to increased efficiency, no
additional environmental & geological Clearance envisaged, low gestation period (about 15-
20% of time required for setting new plants), increase in capacity addition on account of
R&M (about 10 to 30%), increase in Plant Load Factor (PLF), No need of additional land
acquisition (in most of the cases), utilization of existing foundations / structures resulting in
reduction of construction time & expenses, reduction in Tariffs due to reduction in overall
cost etc. are some of the benefits of R&M of old Hydro Plants.

RM&U and RLA of Hydro Electric Power Projects need to be studied / reviewed properly
along with associated switchyard. The condition of assets of switchyards associated with
HEPs plays vital role in evacuation of power from the Power Plant. The Renovation &
Modernization (R&M) / retrofitting of aged assets of switchyard, using state-of-art
technology, is essential in order to extend their life, to improve availability, reliability, overall
efficiency and performance of the Power Plant.

The aging, technology obsolescence, and network evolution or community acceptance

requirements are some of the common issues impacting switchyard of HEP and need to be
addressed carefully while taking up upgradation / uprating of switchyard. As such, the
following factors should be assessed:

Identification of Requirement
Evaluation of Options
Uprating/Upgrading Considerations
 Feasibility
Project Overview
Evaluation of Completed Project

The process required to successfully upgrade or uprate a substation /switchyard requires

careful consideration. The key drivers for upgrading and uprating are aged substation
equipment, the need to improve reliability and system growth. Once the need to uprate or
upgrade has been identified, it is necessary to evaluate the available options and consider
factors that could influence the development of the project. The technical solution chosen will
not be the only one that could be adopted. A number of options may be available for
consideration. These options should all be evaluated against the following:

Asset assessment;
Technical requirements;
Technology;
Availability of standardized solutions;
Environmental requirements;
Risk analysis;
Safety;
Maintainability;
Constructability, including Life Cycle Cost (Installation costs, life time running costs,
demolition costs, etc.) and Provision for planned future development.

Uprating and upgrading have different drivers and both require careful planning, engineering,
concept design, detailed design and project execution. The uprating is driven by an increase
in rated current or short circuit current, but upgrading requires operating of the existing
switchyard at a higher voltage than the original design.

During R&M and LE of switchyard, various modern technical solution such as Gas Insulated
Switchgear (GIS), Mixed Technology Switchgear (MTS) or with Hybrid solution
(Combination of AIS and GIS) should be considered at various voltage levels based on
Techno-economic analysis keeping in mind the realization period, essential outages duration,
construction & operation cost.

The obsolescence of technology, non-availability of requisite spares, risk of running old /

aged asset and condition assessment of assets in service should form the basis for Run/
Refurbish / replacement decision. Use of continuous on-line condition monitoring devices,
particularly for vital assets like transformers / reactors and Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS)
etc., should be judiciously decided. A tentative list of modern diagnostic tools has been
provided in CEA (Technical Standard for Electric Plants & Electric Lines) Regulations.

4. SOME OF THE TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH

R&M AND LE OF SWITCHYARD
In general, the switchyard / substation associated with HEP are either AIS or underground
GIS or Hybrid in nature depending on availability of space. The condition of assets associated
switchyard / substation needs to be reviewed also while going for R&M of Hydro Plants. The
assets associated with substation / switchyard are GT, ICT, CB, DS/ Isolators, CT, PT/CVT,
SA, Post Insulators, protection & communication equipment, Conductor, insulators, clamps
& connectors, hardware fittings and accessories etc.. The suitability of substation equipment /
material needs to be assessed carefully for uprating / upgrading. In addition to above,
adequacy of auxiliary system like AC/DC system including battery & Charger, earthing
system and firefighting system, lighting system etc. need to be checked for new requirement.

Some of the major technical considerations in connection with R&M and LE of switchyard
associated with HEPPs are Normal current rating, Short time current rating, Insulation Co-
ordination & Basic Insulation Level of existing equipment; switching scheme, pollution level,
suitability of existing earthing system meeting the safety requirement, existing protection &
control system, present Regulations / Statutory provisions / Standards etc.

(a) Normal current rating:

The increase in the ampacity requirement, due to R&M and LE, has direct repercussions on
two main items: Substation bus work and Major equipment (circuit breakers, disconnect
switches, Current Transformers, reactors and power transformers). The RMU&LE of HEPP
results in increase in generation capacity in the range of 10-30%. Hence, sometimes it may
not be required to replace existing equipment on account of increase in normal current as
adequate margin may be available with existing equipment. All existing apparatus has to be
checked to make sure that its rating matches the new ampacity requirements. If capacity
enhancement is envisaged in near future, adequate margin has to be kept to accommodate
enhanced ampacity requirement.

For earthing switches having electromagnetic coupling characteristic requirements, it should

be noted that the increase in line current will generate an increase in the induced current; it
may be necessary in some cases to increase the required rated induced current class.

(b) Short time current rating:

The addition of huge generation capacity and increase in transmission ties has resulted in
increase in the fault levels at number of stations, exceeding equipment rating. The fault
current causes severe mechanical & thermal stresses on equipment and material of the Power
System. Such stress can lead to severe damage / failure of equipment / material. Hence
increase in Short Circuit level at the switchyard bus needs to be checked and suitability of
existing equipment and design of earthing system need to be reviewed. The short time current
duty of Circuit Breakers (CBs), Disconnectors, earthing switches & Current Transformer and
short circuit making capabilities of CBs and earthing switches (if applicable) should be
checked for new value of short circuit current.
In case the replacement of existing equipment is not feasible, suitable measures like use of
Fault Current Limiter (FCL) or series reactor or splitting of bus are to be resorted to for
limiting fault level within the design limit of equipment.
Typically, the flexible copper connections between moving parts of an earth switch and its
frame should have a sufficient cross-section. In some cases this flexible connection is used to
carry the short circuit current; in such cases the flexible connection shall be designed for the
new short circuit level. All earth paths should be rated / modified for the new short circuit
current levels.

Non-Conventional Instrument Transformers (NCIT), which have a more compact design and
lighter in weight could be an interesting alternative for replacement of conventional Current
Transformers and Voltage Transformer.

In outdoor switchyards, the withstand capabilities of existing conductors, supports, gantries,

foundations and earthing networks must also be checked for the increased short circuit level.

(c) Insulation Co-ordination and Basic Insulation Level:

In case of upgrading of switchyard to higher voltage, insulation co-ordination study would be

required for proper location of Surge Arrester (SA). In such case, significant design issues
can arise which may require a review of the adopted insulation level (lightning & switching
impulse withstand level) of various equipment. As a thumb rule, the SA should be provided at
interface of GIS with overhead line or underground cables. However, the location of SA need
to be decided based on proper insulation co-ordination study.

Surge Arrester (SA) is the least expensive equipment in switchyard. But it provides reliable
protection against lightning and switching over-voltages. A short circuit withstand capability
of surge Arrester is linked to operation of Pressure Relief Device to ensure that in the event of
internal failure, a violent shattering of the arrester housing does not occur. Old & obsolete
Silicon Carbide (SiC) Surge arresters need to be replaced by Metal oxide SAs having low
protection level and high energy handling capability and condition of SA should be
monitored using leakage current monitor.

(d) Switching scheme:

The switching scheme of the existing system should be evaluated properly so as to bring
improved operational flexibility, reliability and serviceability.

(e) Pollution level:

The equipments / materials of outdoor switchyard associated with HEPP, in general, operate
in a clean and pollution free environment and hence creepage distance for medium pollution
level (25mm/kV) would be adequate for equipment housing or post insulators or bus bar
insulator strings.

(f) Earthing system:

The earthing has an important role to play in the design of switchyard. Earthing system of
older switchyard / substations was often calculated using empirical calculation methods and
techniques. The current practice is to calculate step and touch potentials with finite element
software tools that can perform accurate estimation in irregular grid design configuration. The
earthing connections above and below ground must be able to carry the short circuit currents
at the new higher short circuit level. The grounding Grid integrity test (covering the
measurement of earth resistance / impedance, step & touch voltage, earth fault loop
connectivity / connectivity of riser with main mat) should be performed to check adequacy of
earthing system for new requirement of fault level. The condition of high resistive surface
layer material over the earth mat in outdoor yard should also be verified to ensure that touch
and step potential are within tolerable limits. Strengthening of earthing system, if required,
has to be carried out based on grounding grid integrity test carried out for the existing
earthing system to ensure safety of operating personnel and the equipment.

(g) Protection & control system:

Protection system for transmission line, major assets like Generator, Generator Transformer
(GT), Inter Connecting Transformer (ICT) and Reactor etc. need to be reviewed thoroughly.
The protection relays, being covered under secondary equipment, obsolescence in technology
is expected in every decade. Hence all Electro Mechanical / Static relays have to be replaced
by modern Digital / numerical relays complying with IEC 61850 communication protocol.
The relay settings / configurations have to be modified taking into account the existing
transmission network / interconnection and system operating norms. Emphasis should be
given on automation, elimination of copper hardwiring, use of NCIT, remote monitoring &
control using fibre optic communication link, use of Controlled Switching Device (CSD) or
point of wave switching of CB for controlling switching over voltage in lines (more than
200km) and minimizing switching transients & inrush currents in transformers / reactors
enhancing power system security and Cyber security.

(h) Regulations/ Statutory provisions / Standards

Compliance with all changing rules and regulations like safety regulations, environmental
regulations etc. is mandatory for utilities. The R&M and LE should take into account the
provisions in Regulations which are mandatory in nature and have legal sanctity. Moreover,
the National / International Standards undergo changes over the years. The replaced assets
under R&M and LE programme have to conform to latest standards.

5. CONCLUSION

Both technical and economic factors are to be considered while going for R&M and LE.
Renovation & Modernization Uprating and Life Extension (RMU&LE) of Hydro Electric
Power Projects requires proper study of associated switchyard in order to extend life, to
improve availability, reliability, overall efficiency and performance of the Power Plant.

In the paper, some of the major technical considerations in connection with R&M and LE of
switchyard associated with HEPP, like Normal current rating, Short time current rating,
insulation co-ordination & Basic Insulation Level of existing equipment; switching scheme,
pollution level, suitability of existing earthing system meeting the safety requirement,
protection & control system, present Regulations / Statutory provisions / Standards etc., have
been highlighted.
The R&M and LE should always focus on Life Cycle Cost (LCC) and state-of-art technology,
which is primarily based on eco-friendly design and use of recyclable materials. The age of
the asset alone does not normally constitute grounds for replacement. The obsolescence of
technology, non-availability of requisite spares, risk of running old / aged asset and condition
assessment of assets in service should form the basis for Run/ Refurbish / replacement
decision. Use of continuous on-line condition monitoring devices, particularly for vital assets
like transformers / reactors and Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS) etc., should be judiciously
decided. The replacement of Air Insulated Substation (AIS) with GIS or MTS or with Hybrid
solution (Combination of AIS and GIS) requires techno-economic analysis while going for
R&M and LE.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors are indebted to their organization, Central Electricity Authority under Ministry of
Power, Govt. of India.

REFERENCES
[1] Quarterly Report (as on September 2016) of Central Electricity Authority (CEA) on
Renovation, Modernization & uprating of HEPPs
[2] Monthly Reports of CEA
[3] CIGRE Report (532) on Substation Uprating & Upgrading
[4] CBI&P Manual (Publication No.311) on Earthing of AC power Systems
[5] Mr. Ratish Kumar, NHPC Ltd., Renovation, Modernisation, Refurbishment, Life
Extension and capacity addition in Indian Context , CBI&P Interactive Workshop on O&M
and RMU and LE of Hydro Plants,29-30 October 2015 at New Delhi.

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