The Power Minister,
Shri Anant G. Geete has said that incentives in the form of
awards and prizes would be given to outstanding achievers in
the field of Research and Development in the power sector. Shri
Geete was addressing the Parliamentary Consultative Committee
attached to his Ministry here last evening. Power sector is
highly capital intensive with long gestational periods. Therefore,
the need for R&D becomes more important. Even the quantifiable
tangible benefits are enormous in comparison to the cost of
R&D. The Minister added that the cost of not taking up R&D
could cost the nation Rs.5050 crore per annum.The Minister said
that utilities and other organisations involved in R&D would
be persuaded to spend increased amounts for rese The Committee
was informed that a one per cent improvement in performance
by hydro power stations would lead to an additional generation
of about 800 MUs and a savings of Rs.200 crore per annum @ Rs
2.50 per unit. An expenditure of Rs.1.5 crore per MW in a Thermal
Power Station would lead to a saving of Rs.280 crore per 10,000
MW/year besides reduction in pollutants. A one per cent reduction
in T&D losses would save Rs.1,250 crore per year.
The Minister said
that CEA, a statutory body created under the Indian Electricity
Act, has been entrusted with the responsibility to promote research
in matters affecting generation, transmission and supply of
electricity; advise the central government on any matter on
which advise is sought or make recommendation to the government
on any matter that would help in improving generation, distribution
and utilisation of electricity. A Chair at IIT, Delhi has been
created for officers of Ministry of Power and CEA. For applied
research specific to power sector the Central Power Research
Institute has been created and funds are provided by the Ministry
to carry out essential research schemes. The organisations serve
as a nodal centre for applied research in electric power engineering
including product development for industry; function as an independent
authority for testing and certification of power equipment and
assist utilities in finding solutions to their problems. The
organisation has seven units in various parts of the country.
The institute has facilities for R&D in areas of high voltage,
insulation, short circuit, transmission, instrumentation, domestic
appliances, materials, power system-EHV, HVDC and AC studies.
The Minister said that the institute also offers expert
consultancy services
in the areas of Remaining Life Assessment and life extension
studies of Thermal power plants, T&D System, Power Quality,
Energy Auditing etc.
To prepare a perspective
R&D plan for the next 15 years a Standing Committee has
been constituted under Chairman, CEA. The Standing Committee
while drawing up a R&D Road Map has dovetailed it with the
pathway of power sector development with the following milestones
: strengthen power delivery infrastructure through programmes
like APDRP etc by the year 2005; optimum resource mix for grid
and economy by 2010; addition of one lakh MW capacity by 2012,
and Quality Power to all at affordable cost by 2015 . The perspective
plan has identified 39 broad areas in R&D on 29 themes to
be taken up under a short term programme ranging from two to
five years, the Committee was informed.
Smt. Jayawanti
Mehta, Minister of State for Power was also present at the meeting.tResponding
to questions by Members Smt. Mehta said that Government was
giving increased attention to electrifying rural areas.The following
Members attended the meeting : S/Shri Suresh Chandel, Subodh
Ray, Sis Ram Ola, N.K.Premchandran, Bashishtha Narain Singh,
Harish Chandra Singh, Dr. Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, Prof, Ram
Deo Bhandary and Smt. Jamana Devi Barupal.
