Major Equipment Failure of Electricity Grid

The integrated operation of vast and complex electricity grid such as the one existing in the country demands utmost vigil and care. Natural calamities as well as human acts could have a devastating effect on the Electricity Grid. Under extreme wind conditions, the conductors of transmission lines might get snapped or transmission line towers might collapse. Landslides, Floods and earthquakes cause damage to or failure of foundations of towers. This might sometimes lead to disruption of the transmission network because of uprooting of foundations and consequent collapse of the tower. Floods also cause disruption in power transmission in case substations are affected through the floods.

Further to this, terrorist attacks, fire accidents might also cause damage to transmission lines, substations that, in certain cases, may lead to grid failure and could black out the whole region for a considerable period of time. Several faults, equipment failure/mal-operations are other general causes of grid failure. Possible mishaps in transmission system in the event of disasters due to several natural calamities and crises are:

1          Snapping of conductors;

2          Collapse of transmission towers;

3          Washing away of foundation for river crossing towers;

4          Landslides in hilly terrains affecting towers of the line;

5          Flooding of substations; and

6          Destruction / fire in substations.

In the event of a grid failure, coordinated actions are needed to be taken at the generating stations, substations and transmission for speedy restoration of power supply.