In the era where power is a basic necessity, due to heatwave and coal shortages at over 150 power plants, India is staring at the worst electricity crisis in over six years. To top this off, the poorly managed and governed power departments, age-old infrastructure and rare sight of maintenance are topping the reasons behind power outages in the second highest populated country. According to the Ministry of Power, power demand in India surged to a record high in recent months and is set to rise by as much as 8% in the coming month.

The above cited reasons make it essential for utilities to strengthen their infrastructure for accommodating the pressure posed by deregulation and offer reliable power to the consumers. As fetching more power from existing towers is not only leading to transmission line congestion but also adds the risk of more grid breakdowns. To alleviate the power crunch, uprating can be an option as it allows a considerable increase in power transfer capability within the existing infrastructure. However, its unreliability poses great questions as shutdown is required for reconductoring as these lines are invariably overloaded. This is the reason that compelled the development of an Emergency Restoration Structure (ERS).

Modular aluminium towers known as emergency restoration systems (ERS) can be used to quickly restore power on damaged power transmission lines and easily schedule maintenance tasks with little to no power interruption. They can quickly restore power to an electrical transmission line ranging from 69kV to 1200kV. This structure typically requires only 5-6 hours, as opposed to several weeks required for permanent restoration of the towers. The presence of ERS is more evident now as occurrences of tower failures have increased over the past few years. 

The unforeseen transmission towers' failure leads to an interruption in power transmission and creates havoc in the power transmission sector of any country, which in turn affects the population, economy and public services. The cause of the failure can be natural disasters as well which can make electricity grids more vulnerable and prone to failure which can result in several weeks of restoration and substantial monetary losses to the power companies. That’s why ERS is the perfect solution to maintain or restore power quickly and at a lower cost.

Technical Features  

Compact system and economically affordable  

Use of lightweight material for easy to transport system  

Modular in nature to construct/assemble  

Use of an articulated gimbal permits installation without the need to level the ground thereby permitting fast restoration

Easy to construct foundation system due to suitability to all types of soils  

Adaptable enough to develop various configurations  

Scalable as can be used for 33 to 800 kV transmission lines  

Unique Selling Proposition 

As ERS as a product provides fabrication works to the manufacturing units and its deployment ensures minimal power cuts at the time of tower failures, hence along with bringing down the business's interruption losses which result in economic stability, it also helps the industry to run smoothly. 

The power ministry of India can also adopt this technology to improve power transmission, the stakeholders are, State Electricity Boards, State Power Transmission Companies and the Power Grid Corporation of India. In fact, some collaborations are already in motion, for instance, the indigenous ERS technology developed by CSIR-SERC was transferred to Advait Infratech, Ahmedabad, for constructing an ERS manufacturing plant from where the indigenously developed ERS will be supplied to the Indian power transmission industry and the rest of the world. The technology is patented and is available for transfer to other players in the market.

And given the socio-economic and political issues, the towers are already being used in not-so-urgent cases for maintenance, modernization and/or construction of a power line, so as to completely eliminate the risk of interruption in the circuit.

Also Read - Ideas For Renovating Your Home With Creative Furnishings And Decor That Complement Your Environment

Conclusion

As the result of aging infrastructure, including supply, security and reliability, and resiliency issues, the Indian energy sector is facing significant challenges. Hindrances like these are affecting their ability to provide a reliable, cost-effective, and “future and reliable-proof” provision for end users. So to counter them maintenance should be a priority but apart from this, the inclusion of power utilities like ERS should also be positively implemented. As they not only change transmission line economics but are also proven efficient and these are the factors that accentuate the role of ERS as the bringer of the light of hope to all power outages.