T&D India (April 2018) - Railway Electrification, A new growth wave

Indian Railways is seen laying unprecedented emphasis on railway electrification, which till
recently, was a routine activity with no special interest. It is very evident that reliance on
diesel—an import intensive fuel—is not sustainable.
Going by recent past averages, Indian Railways (IR) has been doing around 1,400 route
km of electrification per year. However, in the recently-concluded FY18, the achievement is
expected to be around 4,000 rkm. In FY19 and FY20, the targets are 6,000 rkm and 7,000 rkm,
respectively, only to reach 10,000 rkm in each of FY21 and FY22. The targets might appear
ambitious but only in the context of the track record.
There is an abundance of suppliers when it comes to providing material and services for
railway electrification works. However, the Railways must rethink its existing practices when it
comes to empanelment of vendors and award of contracts. Traditionally, the Indian Railways
has shown much stringency in this regard. It is therefore not surprising that the Railways has a
very limited set of qualified vendors and contractors. A conference held during Elecrama 2018
brought to light several little-known facts. For a common item like forged steel, the Railways
is facing a shortage of over 40 per cent. When it comes to railway electrification, there are
just about six contractors that are currently qualified. This is despite the fact that hundreds of
competent EPC players are operating in the power transmission and distribution field.
The Indian Railways is cognizant of the short-supply of contractors derailing its railway
electrification plans. It is reliably learnt that the Railways is considering relaxing its eligibility
norms. For instance, contractors approved by Power Grid Corporation of India or by state
government-owned power utilities can skip some initial steps whilst qualifying for Indian
Railway works. This is a helpful move. The Indian Railways also needs to look at its tendering
practices. The trend so far is to award piecemeal contracts. Instead, turnkey contracts should
be considered.
As of now, suppliers and contractors engaged in railway works are very distinct from those
engaged in power T&D works. It is unfortunate that such a dichotomy exists despite the
communality of equipment and services used in the two sectors. Power Grid Corporation of
India, the national power transmission PSU, has entered the railway electrification space, and
some large private EPC players are also following suit. Power T&D contractors should look
beyond the traditionally rigid mindset of the Indian Railway. In fact, railway electrification can
even be a business growth driver for power T&D contractors. Likewise, the Railways must
rework its procurement philosophy with a view to widening its narrow supplier base.
April 20184T&D India
Edit pagE
Railway electrification needs traction
Start by doing what is necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are
doing the impossible..— Francis of Assisi
Printed by Abhishek Mishra, published by Abhishek
Mishra and printed at M/s Sanmitra Offset Printers,
Gala No.219/B, Sussex Industrial Estate Premises
Co-op Society Ltd, D.K. Cross Marg, Byculla (East),
Mumbai400027andpublishedat412,VeenaChambers,
Clive Road No.4, Masjid (E), Mumbai 400009.
Editor: Venugopal Pillai
Editor
Venugopal Pillai
Chief Editorial Advisor
Harish Rao
Creative Director
Nitin Parkar
Head – Business Development
Abhishek Mishra
Manager – Sales
Hemant Kumar
Senior Executive –
Business Development
Ravishanker Pandey
Senior Consultant –
Digital Marketing
Rakesh Raula
Head – Subscription,
Circulation & Production
Raghuvansh Pandey
Printed by Abhishek Mishra, published by Abhishek
Feedback may be sent to
editor@tndindia.com

CONTENTSCONTENTS
T&D India April 20186
T&D News 8
New Appointments 12
@Elecrama 2018: An exclusive coverage of Elecrama 2018 14-37
Larsen & Toubro 14
Vashi Electricals 18
Finolex J-Power Systems 22
Sterlite Power 24
Elecrama 2018: A journey in pictures 28
Socomec 32
WebNMS 34
CG Power & Industrial Solutions 37
BTW Atlanta Transformers 37
Lead Story: Railway Electrification -- A New Growth Wave 38
Interview: David Ranhoff, COO, Enphase Energy 40
Renewables 42
International News 43
Achievement: Suzlon develops India’s longest wind turbine blade 44
Special Story: Sterling and Wilson sees immense opportunities in T&D sector 46
Manpower News 48
Orders & Contracts 49
New Launches 50
Statistics: Private Sector Transmission Lines Completed in FY18 56
Special Report: EESL acquires UK-based trigeneration company EDINA 57

BB India recently
inaugurated one of the
first smart factories in
Bangalore for the production of
electrical protection and connection
solutions. The facility will be located
on the existing factory premises
of Nelamangala in Bangalore,
Karnataka. The smart factory
enables continuous monitoring of
the production process through
visualization of operational data, to
increase efficiency and flexibility of
the manufacturing process.
Thesmartproductionlinecantrack
and display operational performance
parameters across the entire
manufacturing chain in real time.
The factory also has digital lifecycle
management with interconnected
automation components, machines
as well as data about processes and
products. Real-time feeds monitor
the entire manufacturing process.
Remote access and wireless
communication with Radio
Frequency Identification Devices
(RFID) manage the production
process, work orders and testing
parameters. Taking the Make in
India initiative to the next level of
precision and smart technology, the
newestmemberoftheportfolio,Emax
2, includes product line features
such as product assembly on track
guided vehicles (TGV) powered
by electric motors on a closed loop
track, a release from ABB said.
The smart factory, which is part
of ABB’s manufacturing 19-acre
Nelamangala campus, will house the
production line for the entire range
of ABB’s protection and connection
business, which helps to protect
power systems from surges and
enables a reliable power supply for
various installations. The products
are key in optimizing resources,
reducing energy and life-cycle
costs and boosting the productivity
of industrial installations across
sectors like process industries
(cement, textile, chemicals, and
metals), marine, data centers and
automotive.
The Bangalore facility will
manufacture ABB’s range of air
and molded case circuit breakers,
electronic and thermal relays,
contactors, pilot devices and ABB’s
latest range of plug and play low-
voltage circuit breaker, Emax 2. This
smallest and feature-rich power
circuit breaker results in space
savings of about 25 per cent and a
reduction in assembly time by 10
percent with network analysis and
preventive diagnostics. n
A
T&D News
ABB inaugurates smart factory in Bangalore campus
Tata Power
launches CSS
TaTa Power has selected TataPower has selected Tata
Communications to launch its IoT
based, Smart Consumer Sub Station
(CSS) in Mumbai. Tata Power worked
on a state-of-the-art CSS solution,
which will enable the team with an
overview of CSS spread across different
zones and monitor its distribution
substations spread out in the field. The
solution would provide timely alerts on
a visual dashboard on handheld mobile
devices to enable the proactive remedy.
According to Ashok Sethi, COO & ED,
Tata Power, “The solution will enable our
distribution team to monitor substations
and distribution transformers in a very
effective manner.”
The first IoT-based CSS was
commissioned at Bandra-Kurla Complex
in Mumbai. Plans are underway to open
several more during 2018-19.
terlite Power’s Optical
Ground Wire (OPGW)
facility in Silvassa has been
granted a prestigious accreditation
by National Accreditation Board for
Testing and Calibration Laboratories
(NABL). This is for the first time
that an OPGW laboratory in India
has received this rating for testing
OPGW cables, ACS Wires, Alloy
Wires and Optical Fibres. With this
rating, products manufactured by
Sterlite Power in this facility can
be used in user countries without
the need for additional re-testing,
resulting in cost savings, a release
from Sterlite Power said.
Talking about the development,
Pratik Agarwal, Group CEO Sterlite
Power said, “For India to achieve its
“Make in India” vision and supply
products of the highest standards
globally, the country needs ‘state
of the art’ testing facilities. This
accreditation is a step forward in
that direction and towards playing a
greater role in the global markets.”
Manish Agarwal, CEO, Solutions
Business, Sterlite Power said:
“The accreditation by NABL gives
our customers the assurance that
the equipment used and product
provided has passed the highest
standards. This certification
demonstrates our commitment to
deliver reliable products and to
constantly improve the development
processes.”
Valid for two years, which is
up to March 2020, the certificate
establishes that the lab infrastructure
operates at the highest standards
for all tests conducted at the
facility, including manpower,
documentation, calibration and the
Inter Lab Comparison (ILC) test. n
Sterlite Power’s OPGW unit gets NABL accreditationSterlite Power’s OPGW unit gets NABL accreditation
S

T&D News
umeric, a UPS manufacturer and power
quality solution provider in India, has
become the first UPS manufacturer
in the country to comply with Bureau of Indian
Standards (BIS) registration for 6 - 10 KVA range,
a Numeric release noted. The UPS product
offerings by Numeric already conform to the
international standard-CE.
According to the order issued on November 7,
2014, Electronics and Information Technology
Goods (Requirements for Compulsory
Registration) it is now mandatory for registration
of lesser than equal to 10 kVA rating UPS systems
as per phase 3 order. As per a government order
dated- August 17, 2017, Numeric UPS rating
6-10kVA were covered in the BIS compulsory
registration scheme.
Speaking on this milestone, Palash Nandy,
Chief Executive Officer, Numeric said, “We are
extremely happy to announce that Numeric is the
first UPS manufacturer in India to register with the
Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in the 6-10KVA
of UPS range. UPS has remained a key element
in any electrical infrastructure-be it SOHO,
Retail, Manufacturing, Health Care, Datacenters,
IT/ITES, BFSI, Hotels etc. and our endeavour is
to ensure that our customers get best in class
products and services that are compliant with
the highest quality standards.” He further added,
“The key consideration in choosing the backup
solution like UPS is reliability and efficiency
and we at Numeric ensure both of these to our
customers.”
ThecompanyisISO9001:2008,ISO14001:2004
and SA 8000:2008 OHSAS 18001:2007 certified
and is known for its unceasing passion for
pursuing qualitative excellence, the release
added. n
N
Numeric gets BIS registration for UPS range
Sterlite Power clinches
Goa-Tamnar project
sTerliTe Power has successfully acquired Goa-TamnarPower has successfully acquired Goa-Tamnar
Transmission Project Ltd, under the tariff-based competitive
bidding route.
The project will deliver an incremental 400kV feed to Goa and
scale up the transmission network for power evacuation from
generation projects pooled at Raigarh (Chattisgarh).With fifteen
power transmission projects including three in Brazil, Sterlite
Poweris poised to significantly increase its current market share
of 30 per cent of the PPP market.
The Raigarh pool in Chattisgarh
had been facing high-fault levels
and this project aims at creating an
alternative path of evacuation. The
project will help address the quality
of power transfer from generating
stations connected to the Raigarh pool, a release from Sterlite
Power said.
Commenting on winning the project, the Group CEO of Sterlite
Power, Pratik Agarwal said, “We are excited to win this prestigious
project, which increases our footprint of inter-state transmission
projects to 21 states. We are committed to delivering this project
ahead-of-schedule and improve the quality of power supply
across the two states.’
Sterlite Power is a leading global developer of power
transmission infrastructure with projects of over 10,000 ckm and
15,000 MVA in India and Brazil. Sterlite Power is also the sponsor
of IndiGrid, India’s first power sector Infrastructure Investment
Trust (“InvIT”), listed on the BSE and NSE.
ata Power Delhi Distribution (Tata Power-DDL)
has launched Artificial Intelligence Solution for
Indian discoms to make their operations smarter.
The solution – ‘Choice Revenue Intelligence’ is a first
in India and Tata Power-DDL is the exclusive country
partner and system integrator of the predictive analytics
software solution for Indian discoms. To bring the
solution in India, Tata Power-DDL has joined hands with
SAP Technologies and Choice Technologies.
The solution works by gathering data from the smart
meters and applying the most advanced artiﬁcial
intelligence techniques to detect the theft of electricity
and give solutions for the same in the Utility space. The
solution will also help discoms achieve their AT&C loss
targets which is a major component of the government’s
UDAY scheme.
Choice solution is available on cloud platform on
‘Software as a Service’ (SaaS) Model and can be quickly
implemented on the utility’s existing billing system to
meet the objective of UDAY Scheme of bringing down
the national average AT&C Loss levels from the current
21.79 per cent (as per the power ministry estimates) to a
much lower level. The Application is in operation in the
global market and has successfully helped its customers
to reduce losses and increase revenue recovery.
SAP Technologies is the world leader in enterprise
applications in terms of software and software-related
service revenue. Choice Technologies is the expert in
loss recovery and computational intelligence work with
presence in Luxembourg, Mexico, Columbia, Brazil,
Spain, Poland and Turkey. n
Tata Power DDL launches AI solutions for discomsTata Power DDL launches AI solutions for discoms
TThe solution – ‘Choice Revenue Intelligence’ is a first
in India and Tata Power-DDL is the exclusive country
partner and system integrator of the predictive analytics
software solution for Indian discoms. To bring the
solution in India, Tata Power-DDL has joined hands with
SAP Technologies and Choice Technologies.
meters and applying the most advanced artiﬁcial
intelligence techniques to detect the theft of electricity
and give solutions for the same in the Utility space. The
solution will also help discoms achieve their AT&C loss
targets which is a major component of the government’s
UDAY scheme.
‘Software as a Service’ (SaaS) Model and can be quickly
implemented on the utility’s existing billing system to
meet the objective of UDAY Scheme of bringing down
the national average AT&C Loss levels from the current
21.79 per cent (as per the power ministry estimates) to a
much lower level. The Application is in operation in the
global market and has successfully helped its customers
to reduce losses and increase revenue recovery.
applications in terms of software and software-related
service revenue. Choice Technologies is the expert in
loss recovery and computational intelligence work with
presence in Luxembourg, Mexico, Columbia, Brazil,
Spain, Poland and Turkey.
Tata Power DDL launches AI solutions for discomsTata Power DDL launches AI solutions for discoms
T

Tata Power has announced
the appointment of
Praveer Sinha as the firm’s
new Chief Executive Officer
and Managing Director with
effect from May 1, 2018 to
oversee the next phase of
expansion of India’s leading
energy and infrastructure
player.
Sinha is currently the CEO
& Managing Director of Tata
Power Delhi Distribution Ltd (Tata Power-DDL). Tata
Power-DDL is a joint venture between Tata Power and
Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi,
supplying power to over seven million people in North
and North-West Delhi.
Sinha has over three decades of experience in
thepowersectorandhasbeencreditedwithtransforming
the power distribution sector and development
and setting up of greenfield and brownfield power
plants in India and abroad, a release from Tata Power
said.
Sinha holds a Master’s Degree in Business Law
from National Law School, Bengaluru and is also
professionally trained as an Electrical Engineer. He
is also a member of the Faculty Board at Faculty of
Management Studies [FMS], and a member of Board of
Governors at the Indraprastha Institute of Information
Technology, Delhi. He is a Research Scholar at the
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi and is also a visiting
Scholar at Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
Boston, USA.
It may be recalled that Anil Sardana, former CEO &
MD of Tata Power, put in his resignation on January 29,
2018. n
Nobuaki Kurumatani has
assumed office as the first
Chairman and CEO of Toshiba
Corporation to be appointed
from outside the company in
over 50 years.
Commenting on his
appointment as Representative
ExecutiveOfficerandChairman
and CEO, Mr. Kurumatani said,
“I am honored to be appointed
CEO, and very much aware
of the responsibilities I take on. Toshiba is not just any
company. Its corporate DNA has realized countless Japan-
and world-first technologies and products, made Toshiba
a source of pride in Japan for nearly 145 years, and also
made us a global leader.
Mr. Kurumatani most recently served as President of
CVC Asia Pacific Japan (CVC). Before joining CVC in
May 2017, he was Deputy President and a Director of
Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, one of the largest
financial institutions in Japan, where his career was
devoted to corporate planning, public relations and
internal auditing. He is a graduate of the University of
Tokyo, where he studied Economics. n
New AppoiNtmeNts
Toshiba Corporation gets new
Chairman and CEO
Goel named director
Vijay Goel has taken over the charge of Director (Personnel)Goel has taken over the charge of Director (Personnel)
of THDC India Ltd (THDCIL), effective March 26, 2018. He has
experience of more than 25 years in the field of human resource
management. Prior to this, Goel, effective June 1, 2015, was
discharging the responsibility of General Manager (P&A) and was
also in-charge of corporate communications, law & arbitration
functions.
Praveer Sinha is new CEO & MD
of Tata Power
The Supervisory Board of Leoni AG has appointed Aldo Kamper as President & CEO.
The 47-year old, who is currently the CEO of Osram Opto Semiconductors, will take
office at the latest on October 1, 2018. The internationally experienced Dutchman has
proven in his career so far that he can successfully take companies in an innovative, highly
dynamic and very competitive setting forward. At Leoni, Kamper will contribute his sound
experience in the industrial and automotive environment and support the Group’s further
development towards becoming a provider of energy and data management solutions.
Aldo Kamper has been in charge of Osram Opto Semiconductors, with sales of about EUR
1.7 billion and more than 12,500 employees, since 2010. In seven years under Kamper’s
management, the business has significantly gained share of the global market and has
developed into the most profitable company in the LED industry. Kamper was previously
in charge of the Specialty Lighting business at Osram Sylvania in the United States. He
studied business administration in Maastricht as well as Trier and gained an MBA at the
Stanford Graduate School of Business. n
Kamper takes over as Leoni CEOKamper takes over as Leoni CEO
of the responsibilities I take on. Toshiba is not just any
company. Its corporate DNA has realized countless Japan-
and world-first technologies and products, made Toshiba
a source of pride in Japan for nearly 145 years, and also
made us a global leader.
CVC Asia Pacific Japan (CVC). Before joining CVC in
May 2017, he was Deputy President and a Director of
Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, one of the largest
financial institutions in Japan, where his career was
devoted to corporate planning, public relations and
internal auditing. He is a graduate of the University of
Tokyo, where he studied Economics.
Goel named director

What has Elecrama meant to L&T?
WehavebeentakingpartinElecrama
ever since it was launched. We have
found it very useful to take part to
showcase new products launched
by us. Over the years, Elecrama has
developed the stature of the biggest
electrical exposition dedicated to
power transmission and distribution.
The number of foreign participants
and foreign visitors that it gets has
made it so significant that serves as a
very useful platform to demonstrate
our new products.
Tell us about the new launches at
Elecrama 2018.
This year, we have several new
things. The first is the “DZ” range
of circuit breakers in the D-Sine
family. It is the largest R&D project
that we at L&T have undertaken.
It took us almost eight years to
develop the full range. It is as good
as the best international range. It
goes up to voltages as high as 800V
and has breaking capacity of up
to 200kA. With that we see that it
would be able to take care of all the
requirements of both residential and
industrial markets for the next 7-8
years at least.
In addition to that we have a new
range of domestic switches. We also
have a new range of power quality
solutions. With so much “chopping”
of the current wave being done in
the electrical system, harmonics
is becoming a major issue. A lot of
states have come out with laws as
far as harmonics are concerned,
and I guess, several more will
follow. So a range of power quality
solutions to actually take care of
this issue of harmonics is something
that everyone is seized of. We have
Larsen & Toubro has
been a regular exhibitor
at Elecrama having
participated in all
editions of the mega
event, starting from the
very first in 1990. In
Elecrama 2018, L&T
had on display a wide
range of innovative
products, including
some new launches. In
this interaction with T&D
India, S.C. Bhargava
speaks on what
Elecrama means to
L&T and how the new
“DZ” range of MCCBs
launched at Elecrama
2018 compares with
the best in the world.
DZ is the largest R&D project
we have undertaken
— S.C. Bhargava, Senior Vice President — Electrical & Automation,
Larsen & Toubro
@elecrama 2018

interview
@elecrama 2018
extensions in this range of harmonic
solutions that are also on display.
For the first time, we are also
displaying a range of electronic
solutions for the agricultural sector –
some of them in the protection space
and some in the control space. One
solution is a controller that operates
solar pumps. We have a system
available that takes the photovoltaic
inputs and drives a submersible
pump.
We understand that work on the
DZ range started 7-8 years ago.
Despite that, you say that the range
will stay “current” for the next 8-10
years. How did you foresee this at
the time of development?
When we start, the first 8-10 months
are spent only in gathering various
inputs. For instance, we look at
what is available. We also look at the
patents which others in the world
are working on. It gives us some
idea of what is likely to come after
5-7 years. Let me tell you we get it
90 per cent right! The balance 10 per
cent has to be tweaked during the
development phase. And when we
say patents, we mean global patents.
Today, we know that everything
that the customer has thought of
is factored into this new product
range. The new D-Sine range will
seek to replace the existing D-Sine
range, and thereby define a new
paradigm.
What are the main sectors where
DZ could find application?
The industrial market requires high-
voltage and high breakers. We also
have the residential market that
needs high-performance breakers at
the right cost. The MCCB market is
Rs.1,200 crore. Currently, we have
almost a 30 per cent and we are
looking at the new D-Sine range to
improve our market share.
The energy meter business is
picking up thanks to government
procurement. What is your view?
We still have a lot of unmetered
connections. Making sure that
every electric connection is metered
requires plain and simple electronic
meters. At the other end of the
spectrum, you have smart meters.
Smart meters, apart from measuring
electricity, also have the capability
to communicate. The utility provider
can also connect and disconnect
supply to the consumer, remotely.
The utility will also be able to detect
malfunctioning or tampering of
the meter. It will therefore reduce
the possibility of electricity theft.
Though smart meters are expensive,
they will be in demand due to their
multiple functionalities.
We hear of features like time-
of-day tariffs available in smart
meters. Has this been put in place
in India?
All our meters, even over the
past ten years, have time-of-day
tariff capability. But today, what is
happening is that the discoms are
giving this ToD advantage only to HT
consumers. To the LT (residential)
consumers, there is only one tariff.
If we (residential consumers) were
to get ToD tariffs, we could choose
to run heavy loads, for instance
washing machines, during off-peak
hours.
Do you think mass procurement
by agencies like EESL is pushing
down the prices of smart meters?
Of course, EESL procurement
pushes down the costs. In
November-December 2017, EESL
procured smart meters at around 40
per cent lower than market prices.
What will happen is as smart meters
start coming in, you will see prices
change. Today, smart meter prices
in India are lower than anywhere
else in the world. I guess going
forward, they will only go down. In
the metering business, prices only
drop year on year.
What is your take on the energy
meter business of L&T?
The requirement of energy meters in
India is so high that it will continue
to keep us busy. L&T makes about
8-9 million meters per year, and our
current order book is 6-7 months,
which is 3-4 million meters. n
Hartek on course with Punjab Smart Grid project
hartek Power Pvt Ltd is very much on
course with its major Smart Grid project
in Punjab. Interacting with TD India
during Elecrama 2018, a senior Hartek
official explained that Punjab State Power
Corporation Ltd, the state utility, had
mandated Hartek with a major contract
of upgrading 66/11kV substations in
the northern state. The Hartek official
explained that the work involved upgrade
of 55 substations in the Jalandhar, Amritsar
and Ludhiana districts.
As per the mandate, Hartek is required to
replace the conventional electromechanical
relays in the existing 11kV breakers with a
SCADA-DMS system, which would enable
centralized and remote monitoring of the
substations.
Recalling the challenges of the project,
the Hartek official said that site survey,
which is the first stage of the project, and
the retrofitting of relays were the toughest
aspects of the project. A large skilled
manpower pool had to be deployed at the
site locations, the official noted. Further,
the tender conditions mandated that the
project could not be outsourced, which
meant induction of skilled project personnel
into the company. Currently, the entire
project is nearly 80 per cent complete
and will be commissioned in the coming
months.
Hartek had bagged this order in
February 2017. These smart grid-enabled
substations, including 29 in Ludhiana, 14 in
Amritsar and 12 in Jalandhar, will cater to a
population of about 40 lakh by maximising
operational efficiency through a more
responsive power system network.

TD India April 201818
Support from principals
t is mutual. Everybody is
interested in growing. So if
they see that through our route,
they (our principals) get additional
business, there is an extra support.
For the last 40 years, they have been
with us. We have never changed our
principals, we have grown with our
principals. They strongly believe
in our commitment, and they are
always ready to walk with us.
Values: The secret of success
We stand for a very transparent
mode of business, and strong ethical
values. In every transaction, we see
what value addition we can bring
to the customer. All our business
policies are customer centric. So, we
make sure that we add value to their
business and this cycle continues.
We have specific processes to see
that the customers are satisfied. We
have pipeline management so that in
2-3 hours, the entire order process is
complete and they get the material.
More than 85 per cent of our orders
are closed on the same day. We
focus on delighting the customer
through our services. We have a very
strong artificial intelligence in our
processes which help the customer.
We assure that every customer gets
his material on time and that he (the
customer) will be able to complete
his order or project on time.
Conflicting brands
Actually Vashi Electricals is a
platform for the customers and for
the principals. So, we have created
this platform for ease of business.
There is no conflict as there is huge
consumption. Every brand has its
own strengths. Customers that come
to us have a specific requirement
and our job is to serve them—to
make their business easy. We are just
a bridge between our principals and
our customers. Our aim is to make
the bridge so easy to help them to
grow their business.
E-commerce
Our focus is also in B2C. In
e-commerce, you will see that in
B2B,the buyer, user and payer are
different. An e-commerce B2B
portal is good for downloading data
(specifications), price, certificates,
etc. But for B2C, the buyer, user and
payer is the same. For them, it is a
verysimpleandeasywaytocomplete
their purchase. In B2B, there are a
lot of other pre-sale activities that
cannot be completed online.
Export market
There is a very ambitious plan and
we and tying to tap SAARC, African
countries and Middle East countries
are our focus area but through online
I
@elecrama 2018
Bringing customer delight is our endeavour
Mumbai-based Vashi Electricals is India’s largest channel partner online store of reputed
international brands of industrial products. The presence of Vashi Electricals in Elecrama 2018
was special as it marked the successful completion of 40 years of service to the industry. In
a freewheeling chat with select media, Madan Dodeja, CEO, Vashi Electricals spoke at length
on various topics including the core values of Vashi Electricals to the tricky issue of Chinese
electrical equipment. Excerpts.
Madan Dodeja, CEO, Vashi Electricals (right)
addressing the media with Suraj Dodeja, Director,
Vashi Electricals.

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portals. We have already started
receiving orders from Australia,
Thailand, Africa, Israel, Middle
East. Vashi Electricals, through its
web portal, is already known all over
the world today. For specific items
that are not available in any part of
the country, we are known to satisfy
those requirements—and that too on
the same day.
VASHI ELECTRICALS AS A
PROCUREMENT SPECIALIST
Over the past 40 years, we
have developed a very strong
database of customer behaviour
and consumption pattern. This
intelligence helps us to plan in
advance. All our purchases are
before-sale. We buy in anticipation
of sales. This is very unique to Vashi
Electricals. That is why people come
to us and are delighted to see that
all items are available ex-stock. It
is very difficult but we have been
successful in this endeavour.
COMPLEXITY OF THE PRODUCT
VALUE CHAINVALUE CHAINV
It is no more a commodities sales. It
is all about solutions. We have a very
strong technical team to do a lot of
pre-sale activities, find solutions for
the customers, find value addition to
the customers that can bring lot of
advantage to them. That is the way
the partnership with our customers
has strengthened. This is the basis of
our sustainable model and I see that
our focus today is not on commodity
sale but on value addition sale. I
am sure that in the time to come we
have to be very flexible. We have to
understand the customer’s needs,
and keep changing our processes
to meet his requirements. That has
been our core strength, I would
definitely say.
MORE PRINCIPALS
The concept in our company is: Why
should a customer buy only once
a week from us? The purchaser is
buying every moment. We therefore
encourage our sales team to identify
those items that are used in various
segments. All this would come into
our basket so that our customer does
not have to go to say 20 different
suppliers. We are also engaged with
the purchaser every minute.
FOOTPRINT IN INDIAN MARKET
We already have a wide national
footprint. Our focus is not on
volumes, or big value customers.
Our focus is on SMEs—the owner-
driven organization. We measure our
success through reach of customers
and not on value. Our topline is
number of customers we serve
everyday. In India today, we serve
in all states, and we have our sales
presence in more than 35 industrial
towns. We want to make this at least
70 in the next two years.
CHINESE ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
The name “Chinese” means different
things for industrial and consumer
purchase. In the consumer sector,
you buy a Chinese product, and if it
doesn’t work, you can throw it away.
But in industry, this doesn’t work.
Bad products can mean higher
downtimes, production delays,
financial burden, etc. So people have
hesitation. We also don’t promote
Chinese products because people
want there should be no downtime.
We understand those responsibilities
and therefore remain away from
Chinese products in our business
model. Though Chinese products
may appear attractive due to their
price, we have made a conscious
decision to stay away.
TODAY’S CUSTOMER
Today, the young generation
purchaserismorepractical.Hewants
solutions. To manage today’s smart
purchaser, you have to have strong
clarity in your business process.
That is our capability. We have to
understand that with the changing
time in India, this smart purchaser
needs everything clear. He does not
believe in fake information. He has
also the information already; we
need to explain what value-addition
we bring to the table. We groom our
sales team to understand the needs
of today’s customer.
VISION FOR VASHI ELECTRICALS
I think the vision is to grow the way
we have been growing. We already
know the road; we have to reach the
destination. We know what customer
delight is, and what he expects from
us. To bring customer delight through
processes is our endeavour. n
press briefing)
@elecrama 2018
(As told to the media during the

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MAY
2018

he market for extra-high
voltage (EHV) cables is
bright, according to Gajanan
Nalge, CEO, Finolex J-Power
Systems Pvt Ltd (FJPS). Nalge said
this in a brief interaction with TD
India during Elecrama 2018.
FJPS is a joint venture between
J-Power Systems, in turn a wholly-
owned subsidiary of Japan-based
Sumitomo Electric Industries, and
Finolex Cables Ltd. The Japanese
partner holds 51 per cent stake in
the joint venture, Nalge said, adding
that Hitachi Cables was also part
of J-Power until April 2014 when
it sold its entire stake to Sumitomo
Electric. FJPS has set up a modern
EHV cable manufacturing plant at
Shirwal near Pune, which is capable
of producing XPLE cables from 60kV
up to 500kV rating. The company
also offers complete solutions that
include cable accessories and
turnkey project commissioning.
Speaking on current trends, Nalge
noted that the company recently
completed performance quality (PQ)
tests for 400kV cables, from CESI,
Italy. FJPS also recently executed
an export order for 140kV cables to
Indonesia, on behalf of Sumitomo
Electric.
FJPS has recently won its first
domestic orders to supply 110kV
cables to Kerala State Electricity
Board, and 132kV cables to
Maharashtra State Electricity
Transmission Company Ltd. More
state transmission utilities, like
those of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka,
Gujarat, West Bengal and Haryana
are expected to place significant
orders soon. Besides, significant
business was also expected from
Steel Authority of India Ltd and the
Indian Railways. Nalge observed
that even Central transmission utility
Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd
was likely to place orders in the time
to come. Laying of underground
EHV cables will be an obvious
alternative to overhead transmission
lines, especially when right-of-way
constraints persist. Even distribution
utilities would prefer underground
cabling to obviate power theft and to
achieve better aesthetics and safety
in urban areas.
J-Power Systems of Japan is
perhaps amongst the very few
foreign EHV cable manufacturers
that have set up operations in India.
Nexans of France and Prysmian
Cable of Italy had planned to enter
the Indian market through JVs
with Indian companies. However,
these JVs were called off. Swiss
company Brugg Cables is however
present in India through its wholly-
owned Indian subsidiary, and also
as a technical collaborator to KEI
Industries. n
T
@elecrama 2018
Finolex J-Power sees bright outlook for EHV cables

Sterlite Power is the world’s largest
manufacturer of power conductors.
Can you take us through the
technological advancements over
the past few years?
Yes, Sterlite Power is the global
leaders in the power conductor
business. Around 5-6 years ago, we
started making high-performance
conductors. We started with high-
temperature low-sag conductors.
We today have all conductor
technologies, most importantly
ACCC, VAR, ACSS, GAP, Al-59,
etc. All these leading technologies
are available with us today. Sterlite
Power is also the largest exporter of
high-performance conductors.
We started talking to utilities and
there we saw the need for high-
performance conductors. We saw
“choked” transmission lines that
needed more than just conventional
technology. When you are uprating
a power transmission corridor, you
need to increase the ampacity and
lower the losses. That’s the need we
saw, and that is how we started.
Another important thing that we
realized that power utilities wanted
complete solutions, and not just
high-performance conductors. That
is how we made a beginning in
the “end-to-end solutions” space;
this business is now called “master
system integrator” business. Here
we do turnkey jobs of upgrade and
uprate for utilities. We have been
leading this segment, having done
many projects across different states.
Outside India, as of now, it is
only supplies. But we are looking at
possibilities of doing upgrade-uprate
turnkey projects outside India as
well.
How is you collaboration with CTC
Global shaping up?
Going back 5-6 years, Sterlite took
the lead and brought CTC Global’s
ACCC technology to India. It was
very difficult initially to convince
utilities to go in for this technology
because it came at a price. But we
have largely succeeded and now it
is the most dominant technology,
not just in India but also globally.
This technology (ACCC conductor)
is really doing well. Though CTC
Global, since the last 2-3 years
has another stringing partner, we
have remained their biggest and
most strategic partner for ACCC
technology in India.
Power utilities are in bad financial
health. How difficult is it to sell new
technology solutions to them?
As I said, when we started it was very
difficult because high-performance
conductors could be 4-5 times more
Sterlite Power is a
leading global developer
of power transmission
infrastructure with
projects of over 10,000
ckm and 15,000 MVA
in India and Brazil.
With an industry-
leading portfolio of
power conductors,
EHV cables and OPGW,
Sterlite Power also
offers solutions for
upgrading, uprating
and strengthening
existing networks.
TD India met up with
Manish Agarwal during
Elecrama 2018 to
understand what makes
Sterlite Power the
finest company today
in the field of power
transmission.
We are focused on
end-to-end solutions
— Manish Agarwal, CEO – Solutions Business,
Sterlite Power Transmission Ltd
@elecrama 2018

expensive than standard (ACSR)
ones. We had to do extensive cost-
benefit analysis, and that helped us
inwinningutilitiesover.Forexample,
Delhi Transco, we have done a line
for 220kV that was running at 600
amps. Today, it running at 1,200 amp,
with the same corridor. Though the
capex might look high, I can get the
return on investment in 3-4 years.
There was high resistance initially by
some utilities but as utilities started
experiencing the benefits, there
was acceptance. Now, it is utilities
that call us instead of the other way
around. It is a very positive change!
Coming to the grid business, Sterlite
Power is also the leader in TBCB
power transmission projects. How
are the projects shaping up?
I am not directly involved in the
TBCB power transmission but yes,
Sterlite Power is the largest company
in this field. In a TBCB project, or for
that matter any project that we have
undertaken, we have brought in the
latest technology. All our projects are
running on time or before time. We
take prestige in having completed
projects that could typically take 4-5
years, in just 18-24 months.
The only matter of concern now
is that India does not have much of
project work in the TBCB regime.
That is where we are working with
the government to ensure that
investment comes in power TD as
well, and not just in generation.
Another interesting thing that
we have done is winning power
transmission concessions outside
India. We have acquired concessions
in Brazil, which makes Sterlite
Power the first company to win such
a project in Brazil. We continue to
invest in talent and technology, to
build on these projects.
Do you have any plans of entering
the power distribution space?
We are not so much focused in
the power distribution space
because there is so much in power
transmission already – both in
overhead and underground projects.
We have cables up to 220kV and we
are doing turnkey projects end-to-
end. When we talk of Smart Cities, we
do have power distribution solutions,
but currently we are largely focused
on power transmission. However,
as the opportunity grows in power
distribution, and there is a correction
in terms of the health of power
distribution utilities, we may plan to
do more.
Do you see application of high-
efficiency solutions in the power
distribution field?
In power distribution also, we see
ACCC conductor or HTLS conductor,
thathassomuchtocontributeatlower
voltages of say 33kV. There is much
congestion and technical losses. This
is where we have solutions, both
overhead and underground. There
is currently a financial crunch in the
power distribution sector. However,
we look forward to working with
utilities on the power distribution
side, gradually. In fact, we have
recently launched an underground
cable with high ampacity, in the
11kV and 33kV range.
EHV cabling is not picking up in
India as expected? What is your
take?
That is true to some extent. However,
if we see the growth rate of HV and
EHV cable in India, it is at least 10-
12 per cent annually, at the moment.
India has started deploying 220kV
cables though there are very few
projects on the 400kV or the 500kV
variety. The good side is that the
market is growing. Secondly, local
manufacturing capability is being
built so there is lesser dependency
on imports. While these things are
happening, India should leapfrog
in terms of EHV cable installations,
considering the time, space and
capital advantages. India can do
much better in terms of building its
underground EHV cable network.
Railway electrification appears to
be an emerging area. Any plans in
this direction?
As I said, we have so much already
in front of us in power transmission
both in India and abroad. As far as
railway electrification is concerned,
we have taken up one pilot project.
There again, we do have interest but
wearemoreinterestedandfocusedin
those segments where our customers
have some openness to change, in
terms of trying new technology, etc.
If things are going on conventionally
and the customer is unwilling to
change, it is something that doesn’t
excite us too much. We really want
to do something bigger and better
for the country in terms of inducting
new technology, as we have done in
the power transmission space.
As a group, Sterlite Power is
completely integrated right
from aluminium to owning and
development of power transmission
lines. What advantage do you
derive?
Yes, we associate with the Vedanta
Group and we have aluminium.
This gives us an edge but we also
buy aluminium outside Vedanta. On
backward integration, aluminium
has been a big advantage.
Going forward, I think we believe
more in strategic partnership on
various things. We don’t want to
get bogged down by backward
integration. We want to remain
focused on solutions, especially on
end-to-end solutions. We want to
understand and resolve customer
pain areas, and making products
and solutions for unmet customer
demands. That is more of our focus
area, more than just backward
integration. n
Sterlite Power unveiled a new high-performance
conductor during Elecrama 2018

Elecrama 2018
1. The venue and dates of the grand event
2. Hon’ble Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu, at the inauguration of Elecrama 2018
3. The “Elecrama” montage at the venue
4. The sprawling campus of India Expo Mart
5. An evening view of the Elecrama 2018 venue
6. An exhibit by Elektrolites in the outdoor display area
21
43
65

1. Elecrama 2018 witnessed several exhibitors from China
2. A scale model of a 800kV HVDC transformer by TBEA—a Chinese transformer company that has set up its manufacturing plant in India
3. Equipment on display by Chinese firm JSHP
4. For Delixi of China, Elecrama 2018 was the company’s first exposure to India
5. Chinese company Shemar, a prominent manufacturer of external line insulation, had a busy time at Elecrama 2018
6. Innovative wiring devices on display by Delixi, China
21
43
65
A journey in pictures

1. Panels on display by LT Electrical Automation
2. An energy-efficient transformer by US-based Hammond Power Solutions that acquired local company Pete Transformers
3. Finolex had on display consumer appliances, LED lighting and even EHV cables (picture taken before exhibition opening hours)
4. Eaton had on display a wide range of “Made in India” products
5. Modular switches by CS Electric
6. A view of the stall of Chennai-headquartered Ashlok Safe Earthing Electrode Ltd (picture taken before exhibition opening hours)
21
43
65
Elecrama 2018

1. An internal transformer component by Swiss company Weidmann Electrical Technology AG
2. Taiwan was amongst the several countries to have a separate pavilion at Elecrama 2018
3. A view of the German pavilion
4. A top view of stalls assigned to media partners to Elecrama 2018
5. A railway electrification model put up at the stall of Central Organization for Railway Electrification (CORE)
6. A precise answer to: “What is Elecrama?”
21
43
65
A journey in pictures

Tell us about Socomec’s display at
Elecrama 2018.
Le Chatelier: What we can say is
that we have three main business
units – low-voltage switches; meters
and metering solutions; power
monitoring and power conversion
(protection of sensitive installations).
There are innovations in all three
areas.
What do you consider as your
principal growth drivers in India?
Virmani: Obviously, solar is a big
area. There is also the “Make in
India” drive that is driving local
manufacturing. Hence, solar and
manufacturing will be big areas
for Socomec. A lot of data centres
are expected to come up due to the
e-commerce drive. Apart from that, if
you look at the Union budget for this
year,theyhavekept1percentcessfor
investment in medical. This means
that 500 million families will be given
medical facilities. So we expect that
medical infrastructure will also be
a big area of opportunity. Hence,
all four – solar, manufacturing, data
centres and medical infrastructure –
will be our thrust areas.
What is the extent of localization of
Socomec in India?
Le Chatelier: If you relate it to the
turnover, we are 40-50 per cent.
We are aiming at 60-70 per cent by
2020.
India is a price sensitive market.
How do you view the market
given that Socomec has a high-end
product range?
Le Chatelier: Very clearly, you have
two markets. There is the general
market where good value for money
is the name of the game. You also
have a low-end market. We are
in the “value for money” market
because we have a good network of
distributors. There is also a market
for high-end products and solutions.
Obviously, we are trying to expand
in both the segments. Growth will be
seen in the two markets—value for
money, and high-end.
Founded in 1922, Socomec is an independent, industrial
group with a workforce of 3100 people spread over 27
subsidiaries in the world. Its core business is the availability,
control and safety of low voltage electrical networks with
increased focus on our customers’ power performance.
TD India caught up with two senior Socomec officials,
Sushil Virmani and Benoit Le Chatelier, for a quick
interaction during Elecrama 2018. Excerpts.
@elecrama 2018
India is one of our
large-growth markets
Benoit Le Chatelier, Chief Executive Officer-Asia Business Region, Socomec Asia Pacific Pte Ltd
(left) with Sushil Virmani, Managing Director, Socomec Innovative Power Solutions Pvt Ltd,
during Elecrama 2018

How important is government as a
Socomec customer?
Virmani: Government is at present
a low percentage of our wallet.
Socomec is a premium brand. The
government’s buying criteria is
usually to buy from the “lowest
bidder”. Fortunately, we are not
in that league so we have to be
very selective. However, we have
done some prestigious government
projects where such procurement
criteria did not exist. We also provide
mission-critical solutions to the
government, but this is yet a small
part of our business volume.
In particular, what is your business
equation with state government-
owned power TD utilities?
Virmani: The TD segment is
definitely growing at a fast pace
because we have generation on one
side, and we also know that India’s
TD infrastructure is very weak. If
we see the government data, there
has been lesser consumption than
last year even though generation
has gone up, thanks to renewable
energy. This has been putting lot
of pressure on the TD companies.
This is compromising on quality. The
moment quality is compromised,
price pressure comes in. As I earlier
said, fortunately, we are not in that
league. We sell quality products that
come at a price. So we look at some
segments that fit into our business
philosophy. But going forward,
when power distribution becomes
mature, which will be the case in the
coming years, power utilities will
be very quality-conscious in their
procurement.
What has been the role of India in
Socomec’s global business?
Le Chatelier: India is about 7-8
per cent of the total group turnover.
Asia-Pacific in total is about 25 per
cent, and this percentage is growing
significantly. India has been
growing much faster than the rest of
the APAC region. India is one of the
large-growth markets for us. n
Siemens showcases GI line at Elecrama 2018
the Siemens stall at Elecrama 2018 was replete with innovativeSiemens stall at Elecrama 2018 was replete with innovative
solutions in the power transmission distribution sector. One such
technical innovation that caught the attention of several exhibitors
was the gas-insulated conductor. In an interaction with TD India,
an official from Siemens India explained that the gas-insulated
conductor, referred to as the gas-insulated line or GI line, was
devised by Siemens as an alternative to conventional overhead
conductors.
The official also highlighted that Siemens was always on the
“sophisticated” side of the power TD business, offering solutions
in fields like transformers, switchgear, etc. However, this is the first
time that Siemens was entering the rather simplistic business of
conductors, but the approach is definitely not on the conventional
aluminium conductors.
The GI line is basically a conductor that is encased in an
insulation of a mixture of SF6 and nitrogen gas. The conductor
and the gas-insulation can be housed in a very small underground
channel, which requires little or no right-of-way on the land surface.
Currently, Siemens has developed competency to produce such GI
lines of rating up to 500kV, with a rated power-carrying capacity of
4,300 MVA.
The GI conductor has been deployed on a commercial basis in
Germany, and there is plenty of scope of bringing this technology
to India, the Siemens official said. India is trying various technical
approaches to reduce the right-of-way constraints associated with
overhead power transmission lines. Negotiations are on with Power
Grid Corporation of India Ltd as well as state power transmission
utilities. However, since GI lines represent a pioneering effort in the
field of power transmission, approvals will take time, the Siemens
official said. At the moment, the conductor is manufactured in a
Siemens facility located in China and if GI lines become a reality in
India, Siemens could also considering setting up local manufacturing
facilities.
Dwelling on the technical aspects, it is learnt that such GI
conductors offer technical properties that are similar to overhead
(air-insulated) conductors. In other words, despite being
underground, the technical behaviour of GI lines would be similar
to that of bare overhead conductors, thereby having no technical
impact on other aspects of the transmission circuit. Further, in a GI
line, it is possible to monitor cable faults remotely, which is a bigline, it is possible to monitor cable faults remotely, which is a bigline, it is possible to monitor cable faults remotely, which is a bigline, it is possible to monitor cable faults remotely, which is a big
advantage in maintaining uptime of the transmission line.advantage in maintaining uptime of the transmission line.
The Siemens official summarized that these GI lines are most
useful in places where overhead lines cannot be used. Some of the
technical features that could differentiate Siemens GI line from other
alternatives are: high power rating, high overload capacity, suitable
for long distances of up to 70km without the need for reactive power
compensation, low electromagnetic field, non-flammability and the
possibility of direct connection to gas-insulated switchgear and
gas-insulated arrestors.

Give us an overview of your
operations in power distribution.
Basically, ours is an IOT-based
energy management solutions
providing company. That is our
core. WebNMS is part of a larger
Zoho Corporation. We are focusing
on providing energy management
solutions. This essentially is for two
different cases. One is for managing
the energy consumption side for
all industrial, commercial and
residential units, wherever, regular
tracking of consumption is required.
That solution not only caters to
power from the grid but also to
green technologies like captive solar
plant or battery backups or power
is coming from a secondary source
like DG set. Everything is monitored
on a single software system which
gives users a comprehensive picture
of how they are consuming energy
from different sources, and how this
is energy is being used by them.
Do you also look at issues like
power quality, etc?
We also look at power factor, power
quality, harmonics, etc. This kind
of data is accumulated from the
energy meters. Based on this data,
we do power quality analysis, and
create reports, visualizations and
dashboards. This helps users to
understandhowefficientlyelectricity
is being used. It also gives users the
opportunity to users to optimize
energy consumption. These reports
also help identify anomalies, and
then rectify them.
What about the second part of your
services?
In the second part of our service,
we have partnered with system
integrators in order to work with
power utilities for monitoring of
power transmission lines. Today,
power transmission infrastructure
is huge. Identifying problems in
the power TD network is difficult
simply because such networks cover
a large area. We measure the current
WebNMS, a division
of US-based Zoho
Corp, is an Internet-
of-Things (IOT)-based
energy management
solutions providing
company. TD India
caught up with
Karen Ravindranath
at Elecrama 2018,
to understand the
company’s scope
of activities in the
power sector. In
an interaction with
Venugopal Pillai,
Karen discusses how
industrial consumers
can gainfully manage
energy consumption
and ensure power
quality with integrated
software solutions
from WebNMS.
Our software can help companies
practise sustainability
— Karen Ravindranath, Director-IOT,
WebNMS
@Elecrama 2018

at each feeder, and help identify
where there is failure.
Does this happen in real time?
Yes, these are RF-based modules
that are also GSM-enabled. This
pushes data to the cloud, helping us
to gather real-time data. Utilities are
therefore equipped to identify the
problem and address it promptly.
Reducing response time is a key
functionality that we try to provide.
Are you in talks with state discoms
for such services?
We are actually going through our
system integrator partners and also
lookingformoreofthesepartnerships.
We need more traction on that side.
In a couple of cases, we also went
with hardware manufacturers for
power transmission monitoring
solutions. But definitely we are open
to more exposure with power TD
companies.
How inclined are power transcos
and discoms to your services?
So, technology-wise, power TD
utilities see the value in it. But
there is some resistance as far the
investment aspect is concerned!
We have been trying to push our
products for the past 2-3 years in the
utilities.
Coming back to your first case, who
are your clients?
For us, the large energy consumers
are in the industrial space. There
are manufacturing and processing
units that have multi-site plants,
across different states. Our solution
is basically trying to create an
ecosystem where we can monitor
the different energy data from all
their sites. We can then unify this
into a single solution that gives
business intelligence to the top
management. We have seen our
customers have moved away from
SCADA or in-house systems sitting
in their premises. We have helped
our customers to get visibility
through a single site, through our
unified solution. Consumers can
now compare various cost centres.
For example, we have engaged with
a large battery manufacturer that
has three production units across
south India. We have deployed our
energy solution at all the three sites,

@ @elecrama 2018
and the management can monitor
the relative performance at a single
point.
Power utilities are known to impose
penalty on industrial consumers
thatdonotmaintainahealthypower
factor ratio. Is this an opportunity
area for you?
Yes, definitely. Power quality
is important for the industrial
consumers in terms of their own
assets (plants). The asset will have
problems in the long run when
they have bad quality power going
into their machinery. There is also
pressure from utilities to maintain
the right kind of power factor (PF)
ratio. Even the load drawn by a plant
should be in line with what has been
sanctioned. This is to ask if there is a
situation of overload. A plant owner
can find out if the plant is drawing
more load over a period of time.
Your services, as we understand,
are diagnostic. Do you also provide
solutions?
We engage with energy consultants
and auditors. Our system can
provide the required data for
monitoring, on a real time basis. As
opposed to the current trend where
energy auditors could possibly visit
a site once in a few months to carry
out energy audit, we offer you a live
system that always gives you real-
time data. This gives much more
visibility to energy consultants to
provide technical insights that can
help the top management take the
right decisions.
Do industrial customers readily
appreciate that the expenditure
spent on such monitoring services
actually pays for itself over a period
of time?
In most of the cases, we have seen
that we try to reuse the hardware
infrastructure that is already there
with the customer. We have the
capability in our platform to plug
and play with the existing hardware.
This reduces the initial capex cost.
The software is reasonably priced
in terms of load points that are
monitored. The software is also
priced on annualized basis; there is
no heavy upfront cost as such. The
benefits that consumers see out of it
is that the energy efficiency gain can
be 20-22 per cent, which considering
an industrial power consumer, is
very significant. The recovery of
such an investment is very much
demonstrable, often in the first few
months or within the first year.
Do you also engage with consumers
for greenfield projects?
Yes. When we engage with energy
consultants and architects, we are
able to approach consumers that
are setting up greenfield projects. It
could be a new manufacturing plant
or a commercial establishment.
How do you see the scope for your
services in India?
Globally, energy efficiency is being
stressedupon.Inthataspect,creating
efficiency and gauging how your
organization is contributing to the
cause of carbon footprint mitigation.
A software like ours helps industries
to the part of this sustainability
movement. As India moves closer
to environment-related official
deadlines, the government will have
policies that expect you to adhere to
some standards. A software like this
will help you to stay on track, to this
effect. Though traction needs to be
built up, we are definitely optimistic
about the future. n
WebNMS in strategic alliance with ElMeasure
WebNMS WebNMS (the IoT division of
Zoho Corp) recently announced its strategic
partnership with ElMeasure, a pioneer in
energy management and largest panel
meter manufacturer in the country. The
two companies have partnered to bring IoT
enabled Energy Management Solution in
the Industrial IoT space.
This collaboration brings together
WebNMS’ scalable and high-performance,
Internet of Things (IoT) platform
and ElMeasure’s expertise in energy
management and metering hardware
manufacturing. It will enable ElMeasure to
provide innovative and specialized, Energy
Management Solutions for various industry
verticals like textile, pharma, automobile,
commercial, and residential buildings, etc.
WebNMS’ IoT Platform helps ElMeasure
leverage IoT technology to gather, process,
visualize, and draw insights from energy
data at scale, across its broad array of
energy product portfolio to provide unified
Energy Management Solutions. This
partnership takes forward ElMeasure as
one of the early adopters of IoT technology
in the energy space in India.
WebNMS’ highly secured and scalable
platform integration with ElMeasure’s high
precision energy meters will enable the
enterprises to considerably reduce their
energy bills and OpEx. Data visibility is of
importance to the enterprises, to pinpoint
the energy usage. An intelligent solution that
can provide energy reports doff wise, shift
wise, count wise, production wise, etc.,
show the speed vs kW curve, bars, graphs,
etc. Transparent insights on likewise energy
data will enable the enterprises to schedule
preventive maintenance, reduce the
downtime, effective utilization of resources,
a release from WebNMS said.

special report
G Power Industrial
Solutions Ltd (formerly
Crompton Greaves Ltd)
showcased at Elecrama 2018, India’s
first indigenous RIP bushings. In a
discussion with TD India, a senior
official from the company’s product
development team explained that
CG’s RIP bushing was India’s first
such, fully developed and tested
in India, without any technical
collaboration. Incidentally, this new
product was adjudged amongst the
most innovative products exhibited
at Elecrama 2018.
It is very interesting and intriguing
to note that though transformers are
ubiquitous equipment, transformer
bushings are made worldwide by
only a handful of players like Trench
(a Siemens company), ABB, etc. The
reliability of a transformer depends
on a large extent on the quality of
its bushings. For several decades,
the technology in vogue was oil
impregnated paper (OIP) bushings
but it is only recently that resin
impregnated paper (RIP) bushings
have come into the picture, thanks
to their superior efficiency.
The CG official explained that RIP
bushings are preferred to the OIP
variant because they have superior
reliability thanks to their sheer
nature of dielectric characteristics
and complete elimination of
dielectric liquid within the product.
RIP bushings, because they are
completely oil-free, are also known
to have better fire resistance.
In RIP bushings, the major
insulation consists of a core wound
from paper which is subsequently
impregnated with epoxy resin. The
core has intermediate layers of
aluminium foil embedded for the
electrical field control required. RIP
bushings are provided with silicone
composite insulators for external
insulation, and the intervening
space (between the bushing and
the silicone insulator) is filled with
insulating polyurethane gel.
CG has developed the knowhow
for manufacture and testing of
RIP bushings in voltage range
52kV to 145kV. These bushings,
type tested as per the latest IEC
60137 specification, will be made
at the company’s Nashik plant in
Maharashtra. Officials said that the
voltage range of RIP bushings will
be expanded in due course.
In the interaction, it also emerged
that Power Grid Corporation of
India has now started insisting on
transformers with RIP bushings,
in view of their higher reliability.
Some state government utilities are
also following suit. Gujarat power
utilities are also giving the option
of RIP bushings in addition to the
conventional OIP bushings.
MORE INDIAN PLAYERS
It is worthwhile to note that
Gujarat-based Yash Highvoltage
Ltd (formerly Yash Highvoltage
Insulators Pvt Ltd) is also planning
to make RIP bushings in India, in
exclusive arrangement with MGC
Moser Glaser AG, a Swiss company
that is considered to be the pioneer
in resin insulated paper technology
worldwide. n
C
special report
CG launches India’s first indigenous RIP bushing
BTW-Atlanta to roll out its first transformer for PGCIL
BTW-aTlanTa Transformers Pvt LtdTransformers Pvt Ltd
is expected to soon dispatch its first
transformer from its newly-commissioned
factory in Bharuch, Gujarat. Interacting
with TD India during Elecrama 2018,
a senior official said that the first 220kV
transformer, to be supplied to Power Grid
Corporation of India, would be shipped in
the coming weeks.
BTW-Atlanta Transformers is a joint
venture between BTW (Baoding Tianwei
Group) of China and Gujarat-based Atlanta
Electricals. The Chinese company holds 74
per cent stake in the joint venture.
The official explained that PGCIL had
placedanorderforfive220kVtransformers.
As the domestic manufacturing facility
experienced delays in commissioning, four
transformers were supplied from the BTW
works in China. The fifth transformer is
ready and once tested, will be shipped to
PGCIL.
BTW Atlanta seeks growing demand for
power transformers (of above 220kV) from
state utilities of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana
and Uttar Pradesh, apart from home state
Gujarat, the official said.
It may be noted that Atlanta Electricals
Pvt Ltd, the Indian partner of BTW-Atlanta,
continues to exist independently. However,
while Atlanta makes transformers of up to
220kV, BTW-Atlanta focuses on the range
including and exceeding 220kV.
Apart from BTW, another prominent
Chinese transformer manufacturer
TBEA (Tebian Electric Apparatus) is also
present in India, through a wholly-owned
subsidiary. TBEA also has a manufacturing
facility in Gujarat. An exhibitor at Elecrama
2018, TBEA had on display a 1:10 scale
model of its 800kV HVDC transformer,
among several other exhibits.

VENUGOPAL PILLAI
ven as conventional power
TD contractors are busy
with routine government
works that range from augmenting
capacity of the National Grid right
down to household electrification,
there is another growth wave in the
making—railway electrification.
According to sources in
Central Organization for Railway
Electrification(CORE),Indiaislikely
to complete 4,000 route kilometre
(rkm) of railway electrification in
FY18. This is way above the annual
average of around 1,400 rkm seen in
recent years. The target for FY19 is
6,000 rkm while that of FY20 is 7,000
rkm. More aggression is envisaged
in the subsequent FY21 and FY22
with as much as 10,500 rkm targeted
in each year.
Estimates suggest that of the total
route km in India, which stands
at around 67,350 rkm, the non-
electrified component is 56 per cent.
In the coming five years, including
the recenty-concluded FY18, a total
of 38,000 rkm is expected to be
electrified.
Already, giant power transmission
players including Power Grid
Corporation of India (PGCIL)
as well as private EPC turnkey
players like KEC International
Ltd have entered the fray. In their
corporate statements, both these
companies, as also several others,
have indicated that they recognize
railway electrification as a growth
opportunity.
THE CORE CONCERN
The pressing concern with CORE as
alsoanotheragencyRDSO(Research
Designs Safety Organization) that
is involved in vendor registration is
the sheer lack of vendors. CORE,
it may be mentioned, is vested
with conventional equipment like
hardware, whereas RDSO looks
after technical equipment, such as
transformers.
It is learned that CORE, in
particular, is facing acute shortage
of hardware suppliers. If one takes
a typical category like forged
steel components, the shortage of
suppliers is estimated to be nearly
40 per cent. CORE relies heavily on
just 5-6 suppliers, when it comes to
the category stated. The situation
with most other product categories
is not very different.
CORE is trying its best to expand
its vendor base and to this effect, it
is trying to streamline the vendor
registration process. Currently, it
could take nearly four months for a
vendor to get registered but efforts
are on to bring this down by at
one-third. CORE is also trying to
reduce the formalities involved. It is
learnt that vendors that are already
registered with entities like Rural
E
ven as conventional power
E
Lead Story
Railway electrification
A new growth wave
Railway ElEctRification
route km
FY18 4,000
FY19 6,000
FY20 7,000
FY21 10,500
FY22 10,500
Total 38,000

Electrification Corporation, Power
Grid Corporation of India and state
power utilities might be able to
skip the preliminary steps whilst
registering as vendors for CORE.
When it comes to even vendors
registered with CORE, there is
a peculiar problem with lead
time management and inventory
control. The Indian Railways needs
very specific items for railway
electrification works. Most of these
items have no other market. This
is precisely why vendors would
not like to manufacture and stock.
Production will start only when firm
orders are placed. This explains why
the procurement cycle is longer. The
only way to tackle this, and this is
being successfully experimented by
CORE, is to have fewer components
in key equipment. The modular
catenary, which needs much fewer
components that the conventional
ones, is a shining example to this
effect.
CORE is also taking steps to
bringingdownthegestationperiodof
its contracts. A senior CORE official
said that as opposed to piecemeal
tenders, the agency is now actively
looking at turnkey contracts.
WHY THE RESISTANCE?TANCE?T
Some contractors that TD India
interacted with acknowledged
that railway electrification was an
emerging area. In fact, even national
power transmission player Power
Grid Corporation of India is now
executing railway electrification
works and so are some leading
private EPC contractors like KEC
International. However, there is
a general perception that dealing
with the Indian Railways is a time-
consuming process as the eligibility
criteria is often debilitating. Besides,
according to an EPC player that did
notwishtobenamed,saidthatIndian
Railways showed general reluctance
to adoption of new technology.
Another turnkey contractor, again
on conditions of anonymity, was of
the view that it was not easy even
for established contractors to get an
early entry into the Railway domain.
However, this contractor, despite
the difficulties, asserted that railway
electrification was being considered
as a thrust area.
POWER PROCUREMENT BY RAILWAILWAIL AYSWAYSW
The Indian Railways is also
expected to see a gradual change in
its power procurement, especially
after the formation of Rail Energy
Management Co Ltd, a joint venture
between RITES Ltd (51 per cent
equity) and Ministry of Railways (49
per cent), in 2013. A senior official
of REMCL interacted with TD
India during Elecrama 2018, and
gave keen insights on the imminent
changes in the power procurement
process.
The Indian Railways currently
accounts for 2.5 per cent of the total
electricity consumed in the country.
According to estimates, total
electricity consumption by railways
for traction purposes was around 16
billion kwh in FY17. The railways
also used 2.5 billion kwh for non-
traction purposes, which typically
includes lighting at railway stations,
offices, etc.
REMCL is now entrusted with the
task of procurement of electricity,
among other responsibilities. A
senior official of REMCL said
that traditionally Railways bought
electricity from power distribution
companies, and usually at higher
tariffs than those paid by industrial
or commercial consumers. Now,
REMCL is a deemed distribution
franchisee and can hence buy power
from the Open Access route. Today,
nearly 50 per cent of the electricity
procured by Indian Railways is
through the OA mechanism. It
is interesting to note that the OA
route is also posing some curious
difficulties. When REMCL chooses
the OA route, local discoms lose
their business. Hence, they try and
create “technical issues” so as to
preempt the Open Access. It may be
mentioned that under OA, a power
procurer is free to source power from
any location (even from outside the
home state) and compensate the
local power distribution company by
paying wheeling charges.
From the perspective of power
TD contractors, it is pertinent to
observe that REMCL is planning
to construct its own 132kV power
transmission network of around
20,000 ckm that will be connected to
the network of Central transmission
utility Power Grid Corporation of
India. Once this network takes
shape, Indian Railway will become
more of a transmission utility. It can
then source a large portion of its
power requirement through its own
network, thereby obviating the need
for power purchase through discoms.
The modalities of the transmission
network are being worked out, but
it is likely that the Indian Railway
would employ the DBFOT route,
thereby engaging private sector
enterprise. Both as developers and
contractors, this 20,000-ckm power
transmission network could spell
business opportunity to Indian
companies. n
presentations made by CORE and
REMCL during Elecrama 2018,
and subsequent interactions by
TD India with officials of these
companies during the event.)
A modular railway catenary on display at Central
Organization for Railway Electrification’s (CORE)
stall at Elecrama 2018.
(This story is based on

Can we start by understanding the
services offered by Enphase in the
global solar market?
Enphase Energy, Inc., is a
world-wide provider of energy
management solutions. The
Company is engaged in designing,
developing, manufacturing and
selling microinverter systems for
the solar photovoltaic (PV) industry.
The Company offers microinverter
systems to the residential and
commercial markets in the
United States, Canada,
Latin America, the
United Kingdom, France,
the Benelux region,
certain other European
markets, Australia, and
New Zealand.
The Enphase microinverter system
consists of three components:
Enphase microinverters, an Envoy
gateway and Enlighten cloud-
based software. The microinverters
provide power conversion at the
individual solar module. The Envoy
bi-directional communications
gateway serves as a hub providing
collecting and sending data to
Enlighten software, which provides
the capabilities to remotely monitor,
manage, and maintain an individual
system or a fleet of systems.
We understand that Enphase
has opened an engineering and
operations centre at Bengaluru.
Please orient us with its scope of
activities.
Enphase’s India Engineering and
Business Operations Center plays an
important part for Enphase’s overall
global strategy. It will be a Center of
Excellence for software, hardware,
supply chain, strategic sourcing,
product management, and customer
service. These groups will meet the
needs of Enphase’s customers both
locally and worldwide.
Enphase’s energy management
system consists of complex software
and hardware including our own
ASIC. As the Silicon Valley of India,
Bengaluru was the obvious choice
for our location
There is no better way
to grow in a 40 GW (by
2022) rooftop market
like India than to
set up a significant
Engineering and
Business Operations
Center as we are doing
in Bangalore.
Tell us about the microinverter
technology of Enphase and discuss
why Enphase microinverters will be
advantageous to Indian customers.
Enphase microinverters offer the
most advanced inverter technology
on the market, which means higher
production, greater reliability and
unmatched intelligence.
Enphase microinverters are
designed and proven to operate for
decades in harsh climates such as
India’s. The microinverter generates
less heat and processes only about
10 per cent of power that string
inverters do. This makes the product
highly resilient to heat.
Enphase microinverters minimise
losses caused by panel mismatch,
degradation, cabling, and external
factors like soiling. In full sun or
shade, you harvest more energy with
Enphase microinverters.
During qualification, these
Enphase Energy is
a US-headquartered
energy technology
company that designs
and manufactures
software-driven home
energy solutions
spanning solar
generation, home
energy storage and
web-based monitoring
and control. Enphase
recently opened its
India engineering and
business operations
centre. We have
David Ranhoff, in this
exclusive exchange
with TD India, telling
us more about his
company and how
Enphase is looking
forward to electrifying
India “one micro at a
time.”
India is one of the fastest growing
solar markets in the world
— David Ranhoff, COO,
Enphase Energy
interview

products go through more than a
million hours of testing.
In low-light conditions, Enphase’s
Burst Mode allows panels to come
on earlier in the morning and turn
off later in the day, which allows
the system to maintain highly
efficient operations during low-light
conditions where other solar systems
would stop generating power. In
a country like India where the air
pollution impacts solar production
(up to 25 per cent in cities),
this feature provides significant
advantage. In short, Enphase is
made for India.
Currently, where would you be
sourcing microinverters from?
Do you envisage setting up
manufacturing facilities in India in
the medium term?
Enphase develops and owns the
entire manufacturing process,
then collaborates with our partner
Flextronics in China to execute that
process to produce our products in
high volumes.
As part of our global business
expansion strategy, we are looking
at expanding our manufacturing
capacity and will evaluate future
locations in due course.
What type of clientele will Enphase
be focusing on in India?
India is one of the fastest growing
solarmarketsintheworldwith40GWs
of rooftop market potential. Based on
the suitability of our microinverter
systems, we will be looking to grow
in the residential, commercial and
industrial segments.
India has aspired to have 40 GW
of solar rooftop capacity by 2022.
How do you see the opportunities
in store?
India is a huge country with varying
levels of electricity access. Our
mission is “to deliver technology
solutions that make clean energy
affordable, reliable and accessible to
all’ and that’s what we intend to do.
As our product portfolio develops,
we will aim to add value in the
electricity access market.
What are the major challenges that
you foresee in India’s 40 GW solar
rooftop target?
Ittakes3-5monthstogettheapproval
for a grid-connected rooftop system.
It is a very complex and time-
consuming process and projects
take much longer than expected
to come online. Additionally, the
Indian market needs to transition to
view quality as the benchmark, not
price. Particularly in remote areas
quality equipment will mean less
or in fact no downtime of systems
and therefore electricity generation.
This is crucial to ensuring constant
supply to all those who need it.
Enphase is positioned perfectly to
meet this need. Not least because
of our unique value proposition
and no single point of failure in the
entire system, but also because our
focus is on tirelessly delivering the
highest quality products. This makes
Enphase an easy and obvious choice
for financiers, project developers
and system owners.
How do you see Enphase’s growth
trajectory in India, say over the
next 5-7 years?
The Indian solar market has
experiencedtremendousgrowthover
the past 2-3 years and has already
surpassed the wildest expectations.
We have no doubt that India will hit
the 40GW target in 2022.
At Enphase we are excited about
this growth prospect and are well
placed to deliver high quality
equipment to the market. We expect
to be a large part of the commercial
and industrial rooftop market. Our
team in Bangalore has rolled up its
sleeves and is already busier than
we expected.
The main reason is that Enphase
is made for India. Our products suit
the local requirements like no other
and we look forward to electrifying
India one micro at a time! n
First unit of Kishangana HEP commissioned
Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd has
commissioned the first 110-mw generating
unit of the 330-mw Kishanganga
hydropower project in Jammu Kashmir
(JK), being developed by NHPC Ltd.
Located on the river Kishanganga, a
tributary of the river Jhelum, in Bandipora
district of JK, the three units of
Kishanganga HEP on being commissioned,
will be able to generate 1,350 million kwh
of clean electricity annually. The remaining
two units are also in advanced stages of
commissioning, a release from BHEL said.
BHEL was entrusted with execution of the
electromechanical (EM) package for the
project comprising design, manufacture,
supply, installation and commissioning of
vertical shaft pelton turbines and matching
synchronous generators, controls
monitoring (SCADA) system along with
electrical and mechanical auxiliaries.
The equipment was supplied from
BHEL’s manufacturing units at Bhopal,
Jhansi, Rudrapur and Bengaluru while the
execution of works on site was carried out
by the company’s Power Sector Northern
Region division and Transmission Business
Group.
In Jammu Kashmir, BHEL has so far
commissioned 31 hydropower sets with a
cumulative capacity of 1,257 mw.
BHEL is currently executing hydroelectric
projects of more than 2,900 mw in the
country and 2,940 mw in Bhutan. These
projects are under various stages of
implementation.

ndian Wind Turbine
Manufacturers Association
(IWTMA) recently announced
that the Indian Wind industry will
meet Government’s target of 60 GW
ahead of 2022 deadline.
The domestic wind market is on
a growth path in the competitive
bidding regime and there is an
increased demand for clean energy,
which has now become
a reliable, affordable and
mainstream source of energy.
The industry has regained
momentum and there is a
clear business visibility of
10 to 12 GW even before the
start of this financial year with
announcement and plan of
bids by Ministry of New and
Renewable Energy (MNRE).
The industry is confident of
the Government’s continuous
support.
In a release, Tulsi Tanti, Chairman,
IWTMA, said, “In FY18, the wind
industry witnessed a transition
from the Feed-in-Tariff (FiT) to the
competitive bidding regime; hence
there was a temporary drop in
volumes. The industry is now on a
growthtrajectorywithahealthyorder
pipeline, owing to auctions by Solar
Energy Corporation of India (SECI)
I, II, III, IV (6,050 mw) and state
level bids in Tamil Nadu, Gujarat
and Maharashtra (1,500 mw). With
SECI IV, V and NTPC bids coming
up, another 4 GW is expected to be
auctioned in this month. Volumes
are set to grow exponentially with
around 10-12 GW auctions each year
from SECI and state bids combined,
as well as from projects less than 25
mw based on a determined tariff. At
the current rate, the wind industry
is on course to add nearly 30GW
of new capacity in the next three
years, thereby taking the cumulative
total capacity to approximately 60
GW by FY21. The wind industry is
a testament to ‘Make in India’ for
more than two decades.”
“There is a clear visibility of
continuous volumes in the coming
years which will signal gradual
stabilization of tariff, which will
also depend on wind regimes
in different states. We are
seeing large scale projects of
200–300 mw capacity, which
brings in advantages of scale
at project level, leading to
cost optimization there by
benefitting working capital
of companies. Technological
innovation is playing a big role
as manufacturers are working
towards bringing down the
levelised cost of energy and
increasing plant load factor (PLF).
The next-generation turbines from
leading manufacturers can deliver
around 35-40 per cent PLF in high
wind states, which is almost twice
the PLF compared to solar”, he
added. n
I
Renewables
Wind target of 60 GW by 2022 will be attained: IWTMA
Wind tariffs firm up in latest auction
Wind power tariff inched up to Rs.2.51power tariff inched up to Rs.2.51
per kwh, in the latest 2-GW auction by
nodal agency Solar Energy Corporation
of India (SECI).
Srijan Energy Systems (250 mw),
Sprng Energy (300mw), Betam Wind
Energy (200 mw), BLP Energy (285
mw), Inox Wind (100 mw), Adani Green
(300 mw) and Mytrah Energy (300 mw)
were among the successful bidders.
Overall, out of the 2 GW tendered, SECI
was able to auction 1,435 mw at a tariff
of Rs.2.51 per kwh.
Considering only SECI wind energy
auctions, the L1 tariff in the latest round has inched up a little from
Rs.2.44 per kwh in the immediately preceding auction of February
2018, when 2 GW of capacity was on the block. (see table)
In recent months, three wind auctions have been held at the state
level. In March 2018, Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Co
Ltd (MSEDCL) floated a tender for 500
mw and realized a tariff of Rs.2.85 per
kwh. Gujarat saw tariff of Rs.2.43 per kwh
in its 500 mw auction of December 2017.
Tamil Nadu Generation Distribution Co
(Tangedco) had seen a tariff of Rs.3.42
per kwh in its auction of August 2017
involving 500 mw of capacity. Prior to
this, there was only tariff-based wind
auction that was conducted by SECI. A
tariff of Rs.3.46 per kwh was discovered
in a total auction of 1,000 mw.
In a release, Kailash Tarachandani,
Chief Executive Officer of Inox Wind Ltd
said, “The government’s auction pipeline of 10GW each in FY19
and FY20 would lead to strong and sustainable growth for the Indian
wind sector.” Inox Wind has been amongst the most successful
winners with an overall order book of 950 mw from wind auctions
conducted by SECI and state governments.
Wind tariffs firm up in latest auction
Wind Auction tAriffs
Month Agency capacity tarifftarifft
(MW) (rs./kwh)
Feb-17 SECI 1,000 3.46
Aug-17 Tangedco 500 3.42
Oct-17 SECI 1,000 2.64
Dec-17 GUVNL 500 2.43
Feb-18 SECI 2,000 2.44
Mar-18 MSEDCL 500 2.85
Apr-18 SECI 2,000 2.51

InternatIonal news
BB is set to invest 100 million
Euros in Austria to build a
state-of-the-art innovation
and training campus at the home of
BR in Eggelsberg, Upper Austria.
It is the largest organic investment
in industrial automation in ABB’s
more than 130-year history and lays
the foundation for around 1,000 new
high-tech jobs in Austria, a release
from ABB said.
The new innovation and training
campus will develop technologies
for the factory of the future, based on
ABB AbilityTM
, in which production
will be undertaken autonomously by
smartandcloud-connectedmachines
and robots. With this investment,
ABB is delivering on its Next Level
strategy, which defines innovation
as a key driver of profitable growth.
The company invests $1.4 billion in
RD annually, and has a team of
around 30,000 RD and application
engineers. BR has more than 1,000
employees working in RD and
application development.
Thenewresearchanddevelopment
campus will cover 35,000 sqm and be
home to a significant number of state-
of-the-art facilities. Alongside ultra-
modern RD laboratories, which will
develop and test new automation
technologies, from industrial control
systems up to machine learning and
artificial intelligence, there will be
an automation academy to train and
educate customers, partners and
employees in these technologies. n
A
InternatIonal news
ABB plans global innovation and training campus
Artist’s impression of ABB’s upcoming
innovation campus at Eggelsberg, Upper Austria.
Once complete, the Eggelsberg site will be one of
ABB’s largest research and development centers.
UNIPOWER to offer
solutions to India
unipower LLC has announced theLLC has announced the
expansion of its service solutions by
offering a complete range of products for
the DC power market in India. Traditionally
known for servicing telecom, utility,
renewable energy, electrical vehicle and
datacom markets, UNIPOWER LLC’s
utility market solutions have deployed
to provide reliable, backed up DC power
for critical management and control
systems.
With a diverse catalog, UNIPOWER
LLC offers solutions ranging from:
rectifiers and converters, distribution
panels, battery chargers, power supplies,
system controllers, DC Power systems
and batteries.
UNIPOWER provides power for mission
critical applications, with a complete line
of the high-efficiency rectifiers, battery
chargers, inverters and complete AC/DC
power systems.
unipower
expansion of its service solutions by
offering a complete range of products for
the DC power market in India. Traditionally
known for servicing telecom, utility,
renewable energy, electrical vehicle and
datacom markets, UNIPOWER LLC’s
utility market solutions have deployed
to provide reliable, backed up DC power
for critical management and control
systems.
LLC offers solutions ranging from:
rectifiers and converters, distribution
panels, battery chargers, power supplies,
system controllers, DC Power systems
and batteries.
critical applications, with a complete line
of the high-efficiency rectifiers, battery
chargers, inverters and complete AC/DC
power systems.

uzlon Group has designed
and manufactured the
country’s longest wind
turbine blade at its Padubidri Rotor
Blade Unit. The advanced blade (SB
63) measures 63m in length and
has been specifically developed for
Suzlon’s new S128 wind turbine
family with a rotor diameter of 128m,
1.5 times taller than the India Gate
monument in terms of height.
This blade has been engineered
with a carbon girder which
provides the capability to utilize
thinner aerodynamic profiles and
provides higher lift with less drag to
contribute to the turbine’s excellent
performance in low wind sites. The
blade also incorporates flat back
technology at the root that minimizes
drag and saves additional weight
and cost. The S128 series offers
around 33 per cent more swept
area (12,860 sqm) and is expected
to deliver nearly 32 per cent more
energy generation compared to
the S111. With an increase in the
swept area Suzlon’s next generation
turbine is well equipped to improve
energy yield and support competitive
tariff environment in India while
protecting our customers return on
investment.
These rotor blades will be
transported using an innovative two
fold transport system, which will use
a specialized ‘Adapter Trailer’ for the
first time in India, which ensures
safe and unbound maneuverability
through the hilly terrain, while
transporting the long blades. This
innovative approach will ensure a
safe, cost effective and time efficient
mode of transport for the 63m long
rotor blade to the most remote
areas.
Largest wind turbine generator
Suzlon Group also announced the
installation and commissioning of its
new product, S128; the largest wind
turbine generator (WTG) in India.
The first prototype of S128 has been
commissioned at the Sanganeri, site
in Tamil Nadu. Testing is underway
with certification expected in Q3 of
Calendar Year 2018 (CY2018). The
S128 WTG is available in 2.6 MW
to 2.8 MW variants and offers hub
heights up to 140m.
The S128 wind turbine generator
is the latest addition to Suzlon’s
product portfolio and features the
time tested Doubly Fed Induction
Generator (DFIG) technology.
Italsoconsistsofthecountry’slargest
rotor blade measuring 63m and has
a rotor diameter of 128m. The SB
63 blade has been engineered and
developed by Suzlon utilizing carbon
fiber which provides the capability
to utilize thinner aerodynamic
profiles. n
S
Achievement
Suzlon develops India’s longest wind turbine blade
Suzlon SB 63 blade being inspected at
the Padubidri factory in Karnataka
Suzlon SB63 blade mounted on an
innovative adapter trailer
Prototype of India’s
largest wind turbine,
Suzlon S128 WTG,
installed at Sankaneri,
Tamil Nadu.

Photo Feature
Photo (on left) shows the inside view of the Hosur manufacturing facility of Perkins in Karnataka. Since the
beginning of 2018, the Hosur facility is now a manufacturing base for Perkins® 2000 Series engines (pictured). The
Perkins team is now producing the 500 kVA 2506D and the 625 kVA 2806D in Hosur. More than 100,000 Perkins
2000 Series engines are in operation around the world today. The 2506D and 2806D are 6-cylinder, electronic,
direct injection engines. They are turbocharged and air-to-air charge cooled with certifications up to Europe Stage
IIIA/U.S. EPA Tier-3 and to India’s CPCBII emissions standards. Developed from a heavy-duty industrial base,
the engines offer superior performance and reliability. They are part of the 12.5L – 18.1L 2000 Series ElectropaK
engine family, the ideal choice for prime and standby power generation from 350kVA to 750 kVA.
Photo Feature

VENUGOPAL PILLAI
hapoorji Paloonji Group
company Sterling and Wilson
sees major opportunities
in the power transmission and
distribution (TD) sector. Speaking
at a select media roundtable in
Mumbai, Pradyot Kumar Paine,
Chief Operating Officer of the
power TD division of Sterling and
Wilson, said that the company has
end-to-end capabilities in the power
TD sector projects. “We are ready
to deliver anything in the power
TD space across voltages from
415V all the way to 765kV, right
from engineering to procurement
to construction,” was how Paine
summarized the capabilities of the
power TD division of his company.
Set up in 2008, the TD division
of Sterling and Wilson has already
clocked revenues of Rs.700 crore
in FY18. Paine explained that the
opportunity space for EPC works in
the power TD sector was immense
considering that a total market
opportunity of Rs.2,60,000 crore
exists. “For FY19, the government
has already allocated Rs.1,00,000
crore that will be shared by Power
Grid Corporation of India, public
utilities and private players,” the
COO said. He also observed that by
2022, India would have an installed
power generation capacity of 330
GW and a peak demand of 235 GW.
However, the current power TD
infrastructure represents only around
40 per cent of what would be needed
by 2022.
Discussing the order book position
of the power TD division, Paine said
that the current order book position
of Sterling and Wilson was around
Rs.1,500 crore, including orders
under execution. “We are aiming at
an order book position of Rs.3,000
crore by 2020,” noted Paine.
Touching upon its important orders
on hand, P.K. Paine highlighted an
order that it was executing for PGCIL
in northeastern India. Sterling and
Wilson is building and augmenting
a series of 400kV substations in
states like Manipur, Assam, Tripura,
Arunachal Pradesh, etc. The order
is part of the North Eastern Region
System Strengthening Scheme.
Placed in 2016 and valued at around
Rs.235 crore, this was a prestigious
order for Sterling and Wilson, Paine
asserted, which will be completed
within 2018. Paine recalled
logistical challenges during project
S
hapoorji Paloonji Group
S
Special Story
Sterling and Wilson sees
immense opportunities in TD sectorimmense opportunities in TD sector
P. K. Paine, Chief Operating Officer - TD,
Sterling Wilson

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