Enzen and Smarter Grid Solutions to provide India’s first Active Network Management solution

Energy consultants, Enzen, and clean energy tech company, Smarter Grid Solutions (SGS), have been awarded India’s first Active Network Management (ANM) contract by electricity company, TANTRANSCO, to manage one of the largest, most diverse renewable resources across its transmission network.

 With the Southern Indian State of Tamil Nadu boasting a high penetration of wind and solar renewables, TANTRANSCO intends roll out a pilot for the implementation of an ANM system across its transmission network to minimise renewable energy curtailment and improve system balancing.

 Active Network Management (ANM) is a key component for a ‘smart grid’ and manages existing and new flexible network-connected devices autonomously to increase the overall grid stability and reduce operational and new infrastructure costs without breaching operational limits. As a result, this solution will enable TANTRANSCO to manage network constraints by actively managing renewable generators in real time.

 The project will utilise both of SGS’s ANM solutions - ANM Strata and ANM Element - which have been developed in the United Kingdom, and currently manage 500MW of clean energy assets in major power networks in Europe and the United States. 

 The ANM-based systems work by measuring the status of each of the key transmission circuits to identify if their operational limits are being approached. Only at times when circuit loading dictates, re-dispatch instructions are sent to generators to reduce output to a safe level. Generators are restored to full output as soon as the constraint is relieved so the overall energy product effect can be small. 

 The benefits of ANM arise from quicker timelines to connect renewables to the grid, lower costs for grid upgrades and a technology platform that can also support other elements of the clean energy transition, such as flexibility services, battery energy storage, electric vehicle smart charging and low carbon heating and cooling.

Dr. Uma Rajarathnam, Vice President and Global Head of Applied Research and Collaboration at Enzen, said: "We are extremely happy to be selected by the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board to implement the Active Management Solution, the first initiative of its kind in India. Enzen believes in leveraging best-in-class technology from across the globe to meet local needs, and that's why we're collaborating with Smarter Grid Solutions. We are delivering an innovative solution that addresses the challenge of seamlessly integrating renewable power to the electricity grid. The pilot is an important step in maximising renewable energy uptake by the grid, and realising the full benefit of renewable energy for electricity companies, project developers and communities.”

Alan Gooding, Executive Director at Smarter Grid Solutions, said: “We are delighted to contribute to this ground-breaking development in India’s power grid. The prize of low cost, quicker and more flexible renewable generation connections and operation will further advance India’s clean energy goals. Our ANM products are already proven in highly demanding applications in the UK and US, providing a secure means of extending renewable hosting capacity and enhancing grid modernisation, decarbonisation and flexibility. We look forward to playing our role in the energy transition in India with our valued partner, Enzen, and with forward looking customers such as TANTRANSCO.”

This project will pave the way for higher transparency and better management of renewable resources across the transmission network for all state and central TRANSCOs.