“Plan Well, Make a Proactive Project Schedule”

For over 100 years, CAHORS has striven to help transport energies and facilitate access to information, throughout the world. CAHORS offers global solutions and equipments suited to the specificities of medium and low voltage distribution networks, fluids and communication networks. The company maintains its presence in India since 2011 as Transfix India Pvt. Ltd., which mainly supplies high quality distribution transformers. In an exclusive e-interview, Nikhil Pathak, Assistant General Manager – National Sales, Transfix India, is fielding questions from the editorial team of Electrical India. Excerpts...

What kind of transformation are you observing as far as Indian power distribution industry (segment) is concerned?

Today, India is a centre of Economic Growth in the World, standing 5th Largest economy & targeting 3rd Largest economy by year 2027, wherein almost all sectors like Infrastructure (Highways, Airports, Railways), Variety of Industries, Hospitals, IT Parks, Data Centres, Malls, Educational institutes, Residential & Commercial projects etc, are having raising power demands including small scale industries too, wherein Market itself is increasing the potential requirement from 190 GW of 2020-21 to 203 GW by 2021-22 (ref. CEA Annual report), which will be even more by 2022-23. To meet a demand of 203 GW, the recorded shortfall of 2 GW is mainly filled by Wind + Solar – Renewable Power Generation plants.

Looking at increasing maximum demands in India, renewable wind segment has transformed with a Single wind Turbine Generation (WTG) capacity from 300 kW to 3.3 MW in last 20 years of time, which is further projected to develop 4.5 MW in near future.

During this Transforming Renewable Wind Journey in India, we have developed & supplied 4 different types of Transformers i.e. (1) 950 kVA 33/0.400 kV suitable for 800 kW WTG (= 52.80 MW), (2) & (3) 3 MVA 33/0.69 kV WTG Hermetically Sealed & Non-Sealed TRF for 2.7 MW WTG (=108 MW) & 3.6 MVA 33/0.95 kV Non-Sealed TRF rated for 3.3 MW Wind Turbine, under supply (=128.70 MW). With this, our contribution is reaching to 289.5 MW WTG, thanks to all Aluminium wound TRFOs which offer same performance, consistency & reliability. All these TRFOs are Technically Type Tested & qualified in NABL Labs and are running successfully since 6 years.

Other than capacity enhancement, 2nd Transformation has happened i.e. Energy Efficient Transformers & its successful implementation by “Bureau of Indian Standards & Distribution Transformer OEMs” together. As we all know, “the loss of power saved, is as good as generated” has really worked to boost the overall power distribution efficiency in India at large in the last 4-5 years. We have type tested almost 40 different ratings in Energy Level 1 & 2 in line with IS 1180: Part 1: 2021: Amendment 4. Buyers can ask for valid BIS certification in distinguished category of EL1 & EL2 of each & specific rating which differentiated in voltage class of 3.3 kV, 6.6 kV, 11kV, 22kV & 33 kV.

Third & important transformation is, environment friendly & fire safe approach, which has brought by Natural & Synthetic Ester fluids in India. These fluids are completely biodegradable & environment friendly. It has a fire point above 300°C, which can ensure safety of transformer in case of transformer remains source of fire or victim of fire. As these fluids are approved by FM Global & GRIHA, largely implemented their usage in HV & MV segment. Up to 2500 kVA, IS 1180: Part 3: 2021 is in force, however BIS is yet to implement its certification process.

What is your contribution to enhance safety of the distribution systems (inhouse + external)?

Safety is also a wide approach to look at. Safety can be addressed in terms of Design Standards, raw material based, manufacturing standards, operational control safeties, environmental safeties, social safeties, installation & commissioning safeties, etc. So, we are in a continuous process to manufacture Distribution Transformer solutions for most durable, efficient & safe, by means of our highly experienced R & D dept for design safeties, QA & SCM for supplier qualification process & Raw Materials, French based manufacturing facility with all international standard infrastructure, control relays with pre-scribed control schemes for operational safeties, ‘Uninhibited Mineral Oil i.e. PCB free content as per IS 335 & IEC 60296 & or Ester oil in line with IEC 62770 ensures social safeties, installation & commissioning safeties w.r.t. flood situations (high foundation heights), compact substations for space constraint sites, old transformer replacement support with our Sealed Transformers, are also projects, undertaken by us.

What kind of solutions do you provide for overload management?

There are two different overloading conditions that are observed for transformer loading: 1) starting or fractional overloading, 2) major or high time continuous overloading.

FIRST type is taken into product designing as per OEM standards and SECOND type is taken care by our EGFS Sealed Transformers filled with Natural Ester oil (if requirement given by user). These EGFS transformer with Class A & or B insulation, offers high overloading capacities in compliance of IEC 60076/14, subject to fulfilment of design criteria. We have successfully developed 3000 kVA / 3750 kVA dual capacity Hermetically Sealed Distribution Transformer, type tested in CPRI Bhopal. Our +120 MVA installed capacity filled with Natural Ester oil is running successfully and will gradually increase its share in Distribution Transformers at large.

What is your message to the Indian power distribution project managers?

I would suggest all Distinguished Qualified project managers & leaders of industry, to have a well-planned, proactive project schedule, especially for CAPITAL equipments, as on-time ordering will facilitate equal opportunities for all qualified OEMs to bid & buyer can take his decision on techno-commercial front with overall package, instead of situational front only. Additionally, technological upgradations should be adopted for long-term vision, so that OEMs can demonstrate their innovation & value additions through their expertise. Cost centric approach may be a common challenge for us, but instead of just going for L1 criteria, overall Life Cycle cost should be taken into consideration, so that technological & quality centric decisions will facilitate across the industry, as “Quality comes with price & you pay, for what you get”. Ultimately healthy competition will upscale the industry and projects will have not only completion, but operational success too. “Let’s continue to build sustainable market.”

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