Home / Current Issue / Paper 1723273
Modernization of High-Voltage Transmission Networks for Grid Reliability: Lessons from Large-Scale Infrastructure Projects
Subject area: Science,Engineering and Technology · Area of research: High-Voltage Transmission Networks
Abstract
National grid operators have few infrastructure investments of greater consequence than the modernization of large-scale high-voltage transmission. Still, when it comes to what these projects teach us about grid reliability, the record is more likely to be couched in technical jargon than in the realities of project delivery. To put this in perspective, the present paper takes a comparative look at two of the world’s most thoroughly documented modernization efforts: China’s ultra-high-voltage (UHV) program and India’s Green Energy Corridor. Our analysis is based on an empirical study of power transmission delay factors as well as a review of peer-reviewed literature and the project files of governments and multilateral development banks. We find that while both programs made use of phased sequencing as a means of mitigating risk, their public records tell different stories. In the case of China, one can see the merits and the drawbacks of incremental technology validation; there is even a matter of record where underutilization of a demonstration line was linked to coordination issues on the generation side. India’s documentation is more forthright in showing that the timeline for project delivery was held back by right-of-way acquisition and not the technology itself, something a wider empirical study has independently borne out. The conclusion to be drawn is that the reliability of a modernized grid hinges on the combined management of delivery and technical risk. And while lessons from one program may be instructive for another, they should not be applied wholesale without first considering if the structural nature of the reliability problem is in fact the same.
Keywords
high-voltage transmission; grid reliability; ultra-high-voltage; infrastructure project delivery; transmission modernization; right-of-way
References
[1] Adetokun, B. B., & Muriithi, C. M. (2021). Application and control of flexible alternating current transmission system devices for voltage stability enhancement of renewable-integrated power grid: A comprehensive review. Heliyon, 7(3), e06461. ScienceDirect
[2] Asian Development Bank. (2021). India: Green energy corridor and grid strengthening project [Project completion report].
[3] Caixin Global. (2021, March 2). After 12 years, China's oldest ultra-high-voltage power line can finally meet its potential. Caixin Global
[4] Clean Energy Grid Initiative. (2018). China's emerging network of electricity superhighways [Issue brief]. Clean Energy Grid Initiative
[5] Clean Energy Grid Initiative. (2020, June 17). Report to Congress on high-voltage transmission: Barriers and opportunities for high voltage transmission. Clean Energy Grid Initiative
[6] Global Transmission Report. (2009, March 2). Focus on UHV AC: China shows the way by energising 1,000 kV line. Global Transmission Report
[7] Government of India, Ministry of Power. (n.d.). Green energy corridor. Retrieved 2021, from Ministry of Power
[8] Huang, D., Shu, Y., Ruan, J., & Hu, Y. (2009). Ultra high voltage transmission in China: Developments, current status and future prospects. Proceedings of the IEEE, 97(3), 555–583. IEEE
[9] Liu, Z., Wang, F., et al. (2018). Research on key technologies in ±1100 kV ultra-high voltage DC transmission. High Voltage, 3(4), 279–288. Wiley
[10] Pall, G. K., Bridge, A. J., Gray, J., & Skitmore, M. (2020). Causes of delay in power transmission projects: An empirical study. Energies, 13(1), 17. MDPI
[11] Percis, E. S., Udhayakumar, K., Sendilvelan, S., et al. (2020). Stability analysis of dedicated green energy corridors and enhancement of renewable energy evacuation. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 993, 012071. IOPscience
[12] Shu, Y., & Chen, W. (2018). Research and application of UHV power transmission in China. High Voltage, 3(1), 1–13. Wiley
How to cite this paper
@article{1723273,
author = {Mohammad Jashim Uddin, Joyasree Roy, Mohammad Mohibul Alam, Anik Chanda},
title = {Modernization of High-Voltage Transmission Networks for Grid Reliability: Lessons from Large-Scale Infrastructure Projects},
journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
year = {2022},
volume = {5},
number = {9},
pages = {831-840},
issn = {2456-8880},
url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1723273.pdf},
abstract = {National grid operators have few infrastructure investments of greater consequence than the modernization of large-scale high-voltage transmission. Still, when it comes to what these projects teach us about grid reliability, the record is more likely to be couched in technical jargon than in the realities of project delivery. To put this in perspective, the present paper takes a comparative look at two of the world’s most thoroughly documented modernization efforts: China’s ultra-high-voltage (UHV) program and India’s Green Energy Corridor. Our analysis is based on an empirical study of power transmission delay factors as well as a review of peer-reviewed literature and the project files of governments and multilateral development banks. We find that while both programs made use of phased sequencing as a means of mitigating risk, their public records tell different stories. In the case of China, one can see the merits and the drawbacks of incremental technology validation; there is even a matter of record where underutilization of a demonstration line was linked to coordination issues on the generation side. India’s documentation is more forthright in showing that the timeline for project delivery was held back by right-of-way acquisition and not the technology itself, something a wider empirical study has independently borne out. The conclusion to be drawn is that the reliability of a modernized grid hinges on the combined management of delivery and technical risk. And while lessons from one program may be instructive for another, they should not be applied wholesale without first considering if the structural nature of the reliability problem is in fact the same.},
keywords = {high-voltage transmission; grid reliability; ultra-high-voltage; infrastructure project delivery; transmission modernization; right-of-way},
month = {March},
}