Automatic Generation
Control (AGC)
Background
The Government of India's plan for integration of large quantum of variable renewable energy (VRE) into the
power grid presents a number of challenges for power system operators and electricity market participants.
Allied with faster scheduling and despatch is the need for harnessing flexibility from all available sources in the
grid. The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has outlined a roadmap for adoption of Automatic
Generation Control (AGC) in the country to enable secondary control necessary for ancillary services. One of
the pilots implemented under USAID's Greening the Grid (GTG)-RISE Initiative is intended to support
adoption of AGC for hydro, solar and wind power plants in the southern region.
Pilot Scope
The GTG-RISE Initiative, in collaboration with Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL) and Karnataka
Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL), is implementing this pilot to enhance the ancillary reserves in
Karnataka. The GTG-RISE pilot will assess AGC's ability to provide a secondary response in southern India. The
pilot will cover both hydel and renewable power plants and identify technical requirements and compensation
mechanisms for those generation units that participate in the AGC secondary reserve market. The key activities
under this pilot are enhancement of existing control facilities at two hydro units at Varahi and Sharavathi, one solar
power plant at Shivanasamudra and NP-Kunta each, and one wind farm in Karnataka.
Outcome
The pilot will demonstrate the techno-economic benefits of AGC and aid in the development of a scalable
roadmap for the policy makers and regulators for adoption of AGC. The pilot will provide the data to help
CERC specify regulations for AGC's phased implementation with accompanying compensation mechanisms.
Pilot Progress
GTG-RISE has prepared a pre-feasibility report for AGC implementation at the Varahi and Sharavati hydro power plants
and the solar power plant at Shivanasamudra. Following approval of KPCL and KPTCL, Grantee(s) for carrying out
enhancements of existing energy management systems and communication network at the select pilot generation sites
(Varahi and Sharavati Power Plants) has been appointed in December 2018. In addition, based on suggestion from
POSOCO, a 250 MW solar plant at NP Kunta (commissioned by NPTC) is selected for the AGC pilot and the selection
process for the grantees has been commenced.
2018 2019 Partners
KPCL, SLDC- Karnataka, KPTCL
Pilot Developing roadmap for policy Regional Load Despatch Centre
Implementing makers and regulation for (RLDC).
Phase facilitation of AGC.
Disclaimer
This factsheet is made possible by the support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this
factsheet are the sole responsibility of Deloitte Consulting LLP., and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government. This factsheet
was prepared under Task Order AID-386-TO-17-00001.
Greening the Grid (GTG) Program
Background
India plans to deploy 175 GW of renewable energy (RE) on its power grid by 2022, aimed at strengthening the country's energy
security and reducing its carbon intensity. Compared to conventional power, RE options are more variable, less predictable, and often
located further from demand centers. Experience with other systems demonstrates that when RE penetration reaches significant levels,
the power grid needs the capacity to manage operations to avoid challenges to reliability and affordability of electricity.
Greening the GRID (GTG) Program
USAID’s Greening the Grid (GTG) initiative is a five-year program implemented in partnership with India’s Ministry of Power (MOP)
under the Asia EDGE (Enhancing Development and Growth through Energy) Initiative. The GTG initiative supports Government of
India (GOI) in managing the issue of large-scale integration of renewable energy (RE) into the Indian power grid. The program
combines three components which interact with each other. These include:
Ÿ Power system planning reforms and targeted analysis for large RE parks and RE integration pilots implemented by U.S. Department
Of Energy (DOE) laboratories
Ÿ Renewable Integration and Sustainable Energy (RISE) initiative to implement innovation pilots, aimed at testing and evaluating
building blocks to improve the integration of RE
Ÿ Peer-to-Peer exchanges between U.S.-India system operators (System Operator Partnership) and regulators (India Regulatory
partnership)
Renewable Integration and Sustainable Energy (RISE) Initiative
Central to GTG, is the design, implementation, and scaling of a
series of prioritized innovation pilots that support the
integration of RE into the grid. As part of the GTG-RISE
Initiative, successful deployment and scale-up of the following
pilot solutions across the select states will offer new market
opportunities for innovative technologies, solutions and
services.
Battery Energy
Storage System
Real-time monitoring (BESS) in Transmission
of rooftop solar PV and & Distribution
net-load forecasting for
DISCOMs
01 Puducherry, New Delhi
06
Dynamic
Compensation Flexible
for Large Solar 05 02 Power Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh
Park Generation
Integration
04 03 Andhra Pradesh
Regional platform Automatic
for reserves sharing Generation
Control (AGC)
*PAN India covered under the pilot for “Regional Platform for
Reserves Sharing”
Connect with us:
GreeningthegridIndia/ Greening the Grid Monali Zeya Hazra Tushar Sud
Senior Clean Energy Specialist Chief of Party
USAID/India USAID GTG-RISE Initiative
GTG_India www.gtg-india.com (Under design)
Email:
[email protected] Email:
[email protected]
