Explanation:

India-Japan Smart Grid Pilot Project was inaugurated Panipat, Haryana to solve the various complications faced by the power distribution sector. It was inaugurated by State Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in the presence of Japanese Minister Keniko Sen.

Key Facts :

India-Japan Smart Grid Pilot Project was initiated under intensive relations between Japan and India and Central Government’s flagship Make in India Programme. The project aims to make electricity distribution network smarter and disseminate Japanese technologies in India. It also seeks to improve capacity of power companies to provide operational know-how concerning power distribution to effectively use smart grid-related technologies to reduce distribution losses and failure rate of distribution transformers. It also seeks to improve the frequency of power failures, by providing Japanese operational know-how concerning power distribution systems including mastering those technologies. Under this project, smart meters were installed at homes of customers in Panipat to perform data collection as well as monitoring and control through supervisory control system called SCADA. Its purpose is to demonstrate peak load reduction technology, distribution grid monitoring and control technology and power distribution loss reduction technology aimed at power meter tampering, power theft, and omission of bill collection.

Background :

The Union Ministry of Power has launched fourteen smart grid pilot projects to modernize power distribution networks in India for building next generation power distribution networks with less electrical waste. The project in Panipat, Haryana is one of the fourteen smart grid pilot projects. Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) had inked Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Haryana Government in December 2015 for demonstration of Smart Grid Pilot Project in Panipat.