Capital Risk: new power islanding for Delhi proposed to prevent blackouts

New Delhi, Dec 11 : The government proposes to put in a robust islanding facility for power supplies in Delhi to prevent the national capital to face electricity disruptions, especially for essential services, in case of grid disturbances.
Sources said the country’s largest power producer NTPC has suggested a mix of its gas-based and coal-fuelled power units in the vicinity of the Capital for dedicated use for the city to create an island in the case frequency in the main grid collapses and there is real threat of a complete power breakdown.
This, it has been suggested, will balance the frequency in case of grid collapses, ensuring that essential services in the Capital continues to receive uninterrupted supply electricity.
Sources said that though an islanding scheme for Delhi was developed by grid manager Power System Operation Corporation Limited (POSOCO) in 2017, it yet to be commissioned. Moreover, with over dependence of gas-based capacity to provide dedicated power to Delhi in the event of a sudden drop on frequency has created a situation where despite islanding infrastructure adequate electricity supply would be hard to maintain.
With most gas-based power plants dedicated to Delhi operating at around 30-35 per cent plant load factor (PLF) an eventuality still puts the national capital on the risk of a complete blackout as capacities would not be sufficient to ensure adequate frequency in the power systems.
“It is imperative to revisit the earlier planned islanding scheme for Delhi to prevent a repeat of what could not have happened in Mumbai and could happen in Delhi,” said the sources.