Energetica India - June 2020

It seems that the industry is missing an opportunity to ensure that the grid is fit for purpose – reliable, safe, and sustain- able – both now and long into the future. In the context of the size of the invest - ment, and how interlinked the modern - ization of India’s economy is with these infrastructure goals, should India con- sider a different way of thinking when it comes to procurement? We think so and so did many colleagues we spoke to during Elecrama. A change in mindset Moving to a more reliable and flexible grid that can support both renewable generation and electrification means investing in good quality materials and technologies that can safeguard the bil- lions of rupees invested in the new grid. What’s more, this focus isn’t just import - ant for new infrastructure, but will benefit India’s existing infrastructure too. While substandard manufacturing and maintenance practices often create ad - ditional supply chain costs, so do less controllable factors like India’s inclement climate, where high humidity, monsoons and summer heat wreak havoc with poorly kitted infrastructure. You might be surprised to learn that all these factors can be in part alleviated by procuring better quality materials that bring with them a multitude of benefits. In particular, the choice of insulating flu - id used as part of every electricity net - work’s system of transformers can make an astounding difference to safety, reli- ability, risk and maintenance costs. Why choose a synthetic ester trans- former fluid? While synthetic ester transformer fluid is slightly more expensive up-front in com - parison to its natural ester counter-part, it typically works out cheaper in the long run. That said, because it is slightly more expensive, an L1 framework will often overlook its benefits in favour of an alter - native that may not be as fit for purpose. This is in spite of many industry profes - sionals being well versed on the benefits of ester fluids. Firstly, in humid climates, it’s important to specify materials that are resistant to water ingress. Synthetic esters are often twice as tolerant to moisture than natural esters – meaning that they protect the transformer for longer, and require re - placing much less often. This is particularly important when the fluid is being used in older transform - ers that are less air-tight and are more prone to ruptures or leaks. A synthet- ic ester will give maintenance crews weeks, even months, to plan and exe - cute a repair, whereas a natural product requires a much quicker response time before it oxidizes, solidifies and impacts on transformer performance. Slower ox - idation reduces the risk of failure overall and can also have a positive impact on reliability and uptime. When high moisture tolerance is less of a necessity, the next consideration is fire safety and the need for network opera- tors to safeguard against overloading. This is particularly important as India’s population continues to swell in already built-up areas without a proportionate increase in infrastructure to meet those needs. The choice then comes down to mineral, synthetic or natural esters. Finally, synthetic esters are also readily biodegradable and non-toxic, which re- duces the need for containment areas for new investments, and means that it can be safely stored and used in close proximity to the general public. India is making great strides forward in modernizing its economy, lifting millions out of poverty to improve quality of life. The country has big ambitions to do more and reliable, safe electricity infra - structure is key. With so much on the line, now is the time to revise procure - ment procedures so that the best ma - terials can be used to help secure the country’s legacy to 2070 and beyond. POWER SECTOR 52 energetica INDIA- June_2020