National load dispatch centre in 2 yrs

The National Load Dispatch Centre (NLDC) may become a reality in about two years. This will help cut the frequency of power shutdowns, power grid collapses and the resultant losses, said R P Singh, chairman, Powergrid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL). The NLDC is expected to cost Rs 75 crore.

The NLDC will ride piggyback on the national power grid which is expected to be ready in a year. A national grid has been a long term dream as all regions in the country are not self-sufficient in power and a national grid can transfer excess power to a deficit region.

Western India is power deficient and with the region being industrially more developed, the demand for power far outstrips supply. This is where eastern India, which produces excess power, can share it with the power-deficit regions.

In the grand scheme of things is also a super grid for the SAARC region, said Singh. Hence, eventually there will be a need for a load dispatch centre for SAARC region.

India, China, Brazil and South Africa have a 'high voltage DC' (HVDC) agreement for sharing the cost of developing the HVDC technology. This will help cut down the cost of transmission and distribution often associated with the distribution of AC power, and other problems associated with AC power.

Being state-of-the-art, the HVDC will be of 800 kV level. Most of the high voltage grids across the world are 400-500 kV level.

At the Indian session of the International Council on Large Electric Systems (CIGRE) on Tuesday, Singh said PGCIL's 10-year bonds that closed on recently had been oversubscribed and it had managed to raise Rs 2,565 crore.