Smart grid project in capital region slows down.

More than a year after the Andhra Pradesh government and Fuji Electric Company Limited reached a formal understanding for establishment of a Smart Grid in the Capital region, nothing significant has happened on the ground except the installation of a few data loggers / communicators at AP-Southern Power Distribution Company’s Limited (SPDCL) circle office in the city on a pilot basis.

The SPDCL has furnished information for a whole year (2014-15) on daily loads, frequency, interruptions and even some weather data to the Japanese company, which set up three data communicators for as many number of services in the SPDCL office. A battery of 10 computer operators compiled the huge data and submitted it to SPDCL officials, who duly passed it on to engineers of Fuji Electric.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had during his visit to Japan monitored the performance of the pilot project from there and expressed satisfaction. However, the project has since not made any progress as the Japanese company did not revert with its plans for expanding it across the Capital region.

“We provided all technical details asked by them but could not obviously furnish information on some weather parameters, which is not our domain. The delay is not related to funding either as it is still in a nascent stage and did not entail a major expenditure. We don’t know what is holding Fuji Electric back from taking the next step,” a senior official of SPDCL told The Hindu .

He pointed out that Takashi Nohara, Chief Expert of Smart Community-Grand Design Department and Kazuhiko Hanoaka, General Manager, of the Japanese energy giant discussed the project and offered technological assistance during deliberations with SPDCL Chief Engineer (Vijayawada) K. Rajabapaiah and Superintending engineer Vijay Kumar in October last.

However, nothing much happened thereafter notwithstanding the positive outcome that emerged from the talks.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) had committed to make initial capital infusion of Rs. 30 crore. The issue is to be sorted out and clarity lent to SPDCL whether the project has been kept in cold storage or it is beset by other problems, the SPDCL official observed.

THE HINDU