Special achievements of Power & NES Department

• With a view to provide reliable quality power to 178 lakh consumers the following initiatives have been taken in the current financial year (2017-18) :-
• Works under BRGF Scheme (Sabar Ghare Alo) are nearing completion in all the 12 districts. 16 lakhs service connections have been effected as part of the power for all programme of the State Government.
• Electrification has reached 100% villages through grid connectivity, however in case of 100 char villages process is on providing electricity through Solar PV plants.
• Distribution Reforms :-
  During the current FY 2017-18, a total of 12 nos. New 33/11 KV sub-station have been commissioned and 32 nos. of new 33/11 KV sub-station are at various stages of completion. A total of 101.9 MVA capacity has been added so far in the current FY.
  An action plan for mitigation of low voltage in certain pockets of the state has also been prepared. This involves setting up of around 125 new 33/11 KV sub-station, capacity upgradation of 182 no. of existing 33/11 KV sub-station and installation of around 26,000 nos. of new DTR across the state. Besides, a number of other initiatives like intensification of maintenance work of lines, conversion of single phase to three phase lines, phase balancing of Distribution transformers, introduction of capacitor banks etc. have also been taken up. Work on the action plan has started since last FY and will be completed in 3 (Three) years.
  The state distribution utility has been successfully ensuring 24×7 power supply across the state. The average hour of supply has been 23.57 hrs. in the last FY across the State.
  An amount of 300 Cr is proposed to be utilised in CFY for bifurcation of over loaded feeders, reorientation of lengthy feeders and augmentation of conductor size and installation of capacitors for reduction in loss and improving the quality of power under the scheme name “Strengthening and Extending of Electricity Distribution Network (Phase-II). Conversion of old 6.6 KV and 6 KV systems to 11 KV and use of LTAB cables in the theft prone and congested areas so as to reduce the quantum and possibility of theft of energy, interruptions and accidents have been taken up in the said programme. GIS mapping of the installations will be undertaken for efficient utilisation and management of the existing infrastructure.
• Sustainable, Environmental Friendly Initiative : Environmental friendly Hydro-Electric Projects are proposed in the hilly region of Darjeeling District and a second pumped storage project of 1000 MW capacity at Turga at a total outlay of Rs. 4800.69 cr. in the district of Purulia, to meet peak power requirements and increase the renewable mix.
• With a view to ensure safe, reliable, cost effective electricity production by life extension of old units, performance improvements and for addressing pollution issues an amount of Rs. 335 Cr. has been earmarked for expenditure on Electrostatic Precipitator (ESP) & Ash Handling Plant (AHP) along with the up-gradation, Renovation and Modernization of Boiler-Turbine Generator (BTG) of Kolaghat Unit no. 1,2,3 of WBPDCL.
• In the current financial year (2017-18), till October 2017, New Chanditala 400 KV Substation at District Hooghly (with 630 MVA transformation capacity), New PPSP 400 KV GIS at District Purulia (with 80 MVAR Reactor) & Sadaipur 220/132/33 kV Substation at district Birbhum (with 420 MVA transformation capacity) came into operation. Consumers of entire state specially in Howrah, Hooghly & Birbhum districts will be benefited from these Substations. Total 1771 MVA Transformation Capacity including augmentation and 389 CKM Transmission Line has been added during this period.
• Reactive Power Management: For Reactive Power Management in the State Transmission System, installation of total 590 MVAR of 33 kV Capacitor Bank at 36 nos. EHV Substations of WBSETCL has been planned to improve the power factor as well as system voltage profile and to reduce transmission loss in WBSETCL system.
  In order to control and overcome high voltage problems in ER grid, installation of 1 no. 125 MVAR switchable bus reactor at Arambag 400 KV substation has been considered.
• Solar PV power projects : 2 no of Ground Mounted Solar Photo Voltaic Projects (SPV) of cumulative installed capacity of 20 MW at Mejia in Bankura District and Charrah in Purulia District will be commissioned by December 2017 while one 10 MW SPV Project at Santhaldih in Purulia is expected to be commissioned by June 2018. Till October, 2017 the cumulative generation from the commissioned SPV Projects at Teesta Canal Bank at Uttar Dinajpur is about 16.42 MU. 8 number of Ground Mounted SPV Projects of cumulative installed capacity of 71 MW at an aggregated outlay of Rs. 371 Cr. have been proposed in the current financial year in Purulia, Paschim Midnapore, Jhargram, Nadia, Uttar Dinajpur, Darjeeling and Paschim Bardhaman district under RIDF Tranch XXIII. The Department has taken a major initiative to install Grid Connected Roof Top Solar PV Power Plant (GRTSPV) under Aloshree Programme and proposed to install 21.4 MW GRTSPV in the roofs of the buildings of WBSEDCL & all the power plants of WBPDCL at a total cost of Rs. 150 Cr. In addition, installation of GRTSPV Plant @ 10 KWP in different schools/colleges/educational institutes have also been taken up. Till October, 2017, GRTSPV Plants @ 10 KWP in 207 number of educational institutes have been installed. In addition the Department has also taken up to install 1000 number of GRTSPV Plant @ 10 KWP in different educational institutes at a cost of Rs. 76.40 Cr. As a pilot project, the Department has decided to set up 3 solar trees @ 3 KWP in Bidyut Unnayan Bhavan and released Rs. 12 lakh for this purpose.
• As part of Ease of Doing Business applications for service connections are being received and disposed online by Distribution Utilities. Almost all 28 services of the Directorate of Electricity is being made available online under e-District Mission Mode Programme. With a view to streamline delivery of services provided by Directorate of Electricity West Bengal Electrical Licensing Rules, 2017 is to be notified by November, 2017 and a branch office of CEI has been made operational in Siliguri. Other recommendations of EODB on outages, restoration and tariff publication have also been implemented.