The Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) has identified a substation to be upgraded into an unmanned substation — the first of its kind in the city.
The 33 kilo volt (KV)/11 KV substation, located right at the heart of the central business district of Anna Salai, near the Express Mall on Woods Road, has been chosen for the upgrade. It was constructed only a year ago.
A senior official of Tangedco’s central circle, confirming the plan to go for an unmanned substation, said principal approval for upgrading the substation had been sanctioned. Once the substation becomes unmanned, there will not be any need for posting maintenance staff and it can be operated remotely.
With several substations already linked through the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) located at the Tangedco’s headquarters, minor modifications would be required for monitoring and cotrolling the substations with minimal human intervention, the official added.
The project is being planned to be executed on a pilot basis before it can be scaled up and adopted at important substations in phases, all over the city.
Several in State
An electricity official said while this was the first substation in the city to be converted into an unmanned one, several substations in the State, including in Dindigul, Madurai and Tirunelveli, were already functioning in a similar manner.
The unmanned substation concept is similar to the successful working model of the Power Grid Corporation India Limited (PGCIL).