Black start in power system — A case study in Western Region, India

Electrical power system comprising transmission, sub-transmission and distribution networks is one of the critical infrastructures for any country. Blackouts are events that put the electrical power system into a state of severe crisis in no time and the restoration of normalcy post the event is a challenging task. All efforts are made by power system operators worldwide to avoid a scenario that may invite blackout in any form. Never-the-less blackouts do occur in selected parts of the power grid of a state or a region or a country due to several unforeseen factors including natural calamities, inclement weather, technical failures and more. All efforts are made to restore the system post blackout in the minimum possible time. Black start exercise in an islanded real time sub-system, comprising loads and generating stations capable of self start, is a learning exercise to gain experience and accordingly ensure preparedness to deal with all forms of blackouts. Such exercises are beneficial for reducing the time during actual system restoration following a disturbance and also to address systemic deficiencies detected during the process. This paper discusses on the procedure adopted during the black start exercise carried out at Indira Sagar Hydro Power Station (ISP) located in Madhya Pradesh, India on 22nd May 2011 along with learning experience gained during the event. The exercise has been jointly carried out by engineers from the Western Regional Load Dispatch Centre (WRLDC) Mumbai, State Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC) Jabalpur and ISP.