Power sector traditionally has
been one of the main growth
drivers for many economies
around the world and with
industrialization reaching its peak
across the globe, the developing
economies have a bigger challenge to
cater to the growing power demands
in their respective countries. Power
consumption both in the domestic
and industrial market is expected to
surge further with population
explosion and growing
industrialization and we in India
have an ambitious target to meet.
With the growing infrastructure
need in the country, there is an
increasing demand for efficient
power. Power transmission &
distribution plays a key role in
ensuring electricity reaches homes,
offices and industries. For example,
the power cable industry in India is
slated for a strong growth and is
expected to cross 90,000 km in
production this year. Similarly,
transmission tower upgrades,
revamping of distribution systems in
urban areas are the key discussion
topics across public utilities in the
country. Nowadays public
expectations can conflict with sound
planning and engineering; and where
efforts to ensure grid reliability are
seen as blocking access and
constraining the potential of the
future. Our country today needs
solutions especially in the areas of
power transmission conductor to meet
demanding application requirements.
Power utilities are faced with
major a challenge in keeping up with
the exponential growth in heavily populated
urban areas. This situation
often involves upgrading the existing
transmission lines to carry more
power. However, upgrades need
larger towers on wider swathes of
land in areas where land is at a
premium. Also, distribution lines,
railroads and buildings may be
close to the line that an upgrade
cannot be done without displacing
them. This is where upgraded
conductor is required.
To state an instance, Tata Power,
Mumbai, needed to upgrade two
transmission lines. The population
density is approximately 27,000
people per sqkm as a result of which
the company needed to upgrade their
110kV Borivali-Malad and Salsette-
Saki transmission lines. To further
complicate the issue, two-storey
residences had sprung up under the
lines severely violating the sag levels.
Tata Power was looking for a
solution that would survive Mumbai
heat and heavy monsoons making the
conductor's reliability under harsh
environmental and operating
conditions essential. 3M ACCR was
an automatic choice and the
installation was completed using
existing structures and without
displacing people living nearby. The
line capacity was increased from 900
to 1,800A.
3M has developed products and
solutions for the power sector
especially in the areas of power
transmission conductor to meet
various application requirements.
3M is fundamentally a material
science company and the core
technology platform forms the basis
of thousands of innovative products.
Our success begins with our ability to
apply our technologies, often in
combination, to an endless array of
real-world customer needs. Of course,
all of this is made possible by the
people of 3M and their singular
commitment to make life easier and
better for people around the world.
Continuing this legacy of
Innovation, 3M has developed the
advanced high temperature low sag conductor used in power transmission. The 3M ACCR
(Aluminum Conductor Composite Reinforced) is one such
product which provides numerous benefits to utilities.
The ACCR conductor has been installed in many
applications in US since 2001 including the hot deserts, fastgrowing
areas near Phoenix, Arizona, densely populated
areas near Washington DC and environmentally sensitive
areas in Minnesota.
The traditional overhead transmission conductors such as
Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced (ACSR) are composed
of a core made of steel wires stranded together and then
covered with aluminum wires. The steel core carries the
mechanical load of the conductor while the aluminum outer
wires carry the electrical current. Modern transmission
conductor such as the 3M Aluminum Conductor Composite
Reinforced (ACCR) replaces the core steel wires with
alumina fibre wires infused with high purity aluminum and
the aluminum outer wires are a high temperature aluminum
zirconium alloy, producing a lighter conductor than
conventional ACSR conductors, but with the same strength
This is an advanced high temperature low sag conductor
which provides numerous benefits to utilities. Also, when
energy flows through a conductor, it gets heated up and
expands, causing the conductor to sag. But ACCR sags about
half as much as standard ACSR and can withstand
temperatures as high as 240°C with no damage or loss of
performance. The combination of high strength, low weight
and low sag; allows twice the current to flow through it even
while maintaining clearance and performance at high
temperatures and over long periods of time. So existing
transmission lines can be upgraded using existing structures
and minimize disruption to existing facilities.
Utilities in China and Brazil, where demand for electricity
is growing in tandem with burgeoning economies like India's
are adopting this new technology to complete urgently
needed upgrades while avoiding logistical problems that can
lead to costly delays.
In short, 3M ACCR offers up to a 2X capacity upgrade
using existing corridors and towers while maintaining or
improving tensions and clearances, and typically at a much
lower cost than rebuild. It does not increase transmission
line footprints or change structure height or line appearance,
so it can help minimize the impact on property owners and
environment. It also provides utilities a fast, sustainable way to
reduce transmission constraint and accommodate the
integration of renewable and other new uses of the grid. As an
all-metal conductor, it is durable and reliable as standard
conductors. This solution also helps reduce installation time, a
factor of growing importance considering the rapidly evolving
public expectations and resulting regulatory mandates. From a
future perspective, we foresee that since the existing grid was
never designed to handle the intermittent loads from renewable
energy sources or provide the flexibility demanded by future
loads. Yet the expectations for both reliability and access
continue to grow as new uses for electric power evolve.
The challenge to power utilities will be to find new ways and
new tools to meet an increasingly complex future. Advanced
technology grid components like 3M ACCR conductor can help
build the robustness and flexibility that will be demanded of a
future grid and help the power utility industry keep the nation's
light on for the years to come.
To conclude, we need to consider a judicious approach while
addressing the bleak power situation in India. Considering
upgrades and embracing new technologies especially in areas
of power transmission would certainly provide the necessary
supercharge for growth.
(Mohan Nair is General Manager - Electrical Markets
Division, 3M India)