National and regional load dispatching

centers
 POSOCO

• Power System Operation Corporation Limited

(POSOCO) is a wholly owned Government of India
enterprise under the Ministry of Power. It was earlier a
wholly owned subsidiary of
Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL). It was
formed in March 2009 to handle the power
management functions of PGCIL. It is responsible to
ensure the integrated operation of the Grid in a
reliable, efficient, and secure manner. It consists of 5
Regional Load Dispatch Centers (RLDCs) and the
National Load Dispatch Centre (NLDC).
• POSOCO has the following offices:
• National Load Despatch Centre (NLDC)
• Regional Load Despatch Centres (RLDCs)
– Northern Regional Load Despatch Centre (NRLDC) –
New Delhi
– Western Regional Load Despatch Centre (WRLDC) –
Mumbai
– Eastern Regional Load Despatch Centre (ERLDC) –
Kolkata
– Southern Regional Load Despatch Centre (SRLDC) –
Bengaluru
– North-Eastern Regional Load Despatch Centre
(NERLDC) – Shillong
• National Load Dispatch Centre
• On 25 February 2009 the National Load
Dispatch Centre (NLDC) was inaugurated by
Sushilkumar Shinde (Former Union Minister of
Power) and Shiela Dixit (Former Chief Minister,
NCT of Delhi). National Load Dispatch Centre
(NLDC) has been constituted as per Ministry of
Power (MOP) notification, New Delhi dated 2
March 2005 and is the apex body to ensure
integrated operation of the national power
system
• Regional Load Despatch Centers (RLDCs) and the state transmission
systems under them
• The five RLDCs oversee the interstate transmission for the following
states:
• Northern Regional Load Despatch Center (NRLDC) : Delhi, Haryana,
Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan,
Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand
• Western Regional Load Despatch Center (WRLDC) : Maharashtra,
Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Daman and Diu,
Dadra and Nagar Haveli
• Eastern Regional Load Despatch Center (ERLDC) : Bihar, Jharkhand,
Odisha, West Bengal, Sikkim
• Southern Regional Load Despatch Center (SRLDC) : Tamil Nadu,
Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Pondicherry
• North-Eastern Regional Load Despatch Center (NERLDC) :
Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland,
Tripura
• Functions of POSOCO as per direction of Ministry of
Power issued from time to time.
• To supervise and control all aspect concerning operations
and manpower requirement of RLDCs and NLDC.
• To act as the apex organization for human resources
requirement of NLDC and RLDCs.
• To ensure planning and implementation of infrastructure
required for smooth operation and development of NLDC
and RLDCs.
• To coordinate the functioning of NLDC and all the RLDCs.
• To advise and assist state level Load Despatch Centres,
including specialised training etc.
• To perform any other function entrusted to it by the
Ministry of Power.
• Functions of NLDC
• Supervision over the Regional Load Dispatch Centres;
• Scheduling and dispatch of electricity over inter-regional links in accordance with grid standards
specified by the Authority and grid code specified by Central Commission in coordination with
Regional Load Dispatch Centres;
• Coordination with Regional Load Dispatch Centres for achieving maximum economy and efficiency in
the operation of National Grid;
• Monitoring of operations and grid security of the National Grid;
• Supervision and control over the inter-regional links as may be required for ensuring stability of the
power system under its control;
• Coordination with Regional Power Committees for regional outage schedule in the national
perspective to ensure optimal utilization of power resources;
• Coordination with Regional Load Dispatch Centres for the energy accounting of inter-regional
exchange of power;
• Coordination for restoration of synchronous operation of national grid with Regional Load Despatch
Centres;
• Coordination for trans-national exchange of power;
• Providing operational feed back for national grid planning to the Authority and the Central
Transmission Utility;
• Levy and collection of such fee and charges from the generating companies or licensees involved in
the power system, as may be specified by the Central Commission.
• Dissemination of information relating to operations of transmission system in accordance with
directions or regulations issued by Central Electricity Regulatory Commission and the Central
Government from time to time.
• Functions of RLDC (Section 28 of Electricity Act, 2003)
• Be responsible for optimum scheduling and dispatch of electricity
within the region, in accordance with the contracts entered into with
the licensees or the generating companies operating in the region;
• Monitor grid operations;
• Keep accounts of quantity of electricity transmitted through the
regional grid;
• Exercise supervision and control over the inter-State transmission
system; and
• Be responsible for carrying out real time operations for grid control
and dispatch of electricity within the region through secure and
economic operation of the regional grid in accordance with the Grid
Standards and the Grid Code.
• To levy and collect such fees & charges from the generating
companies or licensees engaged in inter-state transmission of
electricity as may be specified by the Central Commission.
• Other functions
• Open Access in Inter-state transmission: Open Access in Inter-state Transmission has
been introduced by CERC in the year 2004 after enactment of the Electricity Act in
2003. The present Regulation in vogue was notified in 2008, which was subsequently
amended w.e.f. 15.06.2009.
• NLDC has been designated as nodal agency for collective transactions through Power
Exchanges as per Open Access in Inter-state Transmission Regulations and Power
Market Regulations. RLDCs have been designated as nodal agency for bilateral
transactions.
• Congestion management: CERC has notified Regulations on Measures to relieve
congestion in real time operation on 22.12.2009. NLDC and RLDCs are required to asses
Total Transfer Capability (TTC), Available Transfer Capability (ATC) and Transmission
Reliability Margin (TRM) of inter-regional links / corridors and put the same on their
websites. In case of congestion in real time, congestion charge is imposed by NLDC /
RLDCs. RLDCs maintain separate accounts for congestion charges collected from and
disbursed to different entities.
• Development of Ancillary Services: In India explicit ancillary services market is not
there at present. In the Unscheduled Interchange Charges Regulations, CERC has
specified that surplus funds left in UI pool account can be utilized for providing Ancillary
Services, as identified by Regional Load Despatch Centres. A proposal has been
submitted to CERC in this regard. POSOCO would have to gradually develop Ancillary
Services with approval of CERC commensurate with maturing of Indian Power Market.
• Sharing of Inter-State Transmission Charges and Losses: As per CERC Regulations
dated 15.06.2010 on Sharing of Inter-State Transmission Charges and Losses, NLDC has
been designated as Implementing Agency (IA). Data required for carrying out studies
and computation is collected form different transmission licensees and designated ISTS
customers (DICs). The data is validated by a Validation Committee constituted by the
CERC and thereafter results are submitted to CERC. After approval by CERC, the results
and rate of charges and losses are published on the website of NLDC.
• Renewable Energy Certificates (REC): In accordance with the CERC Regulations, 2010,
regarding REC mechanism, NLDC has been designated as the Central Agency . The
functions entrusted to NLDC are registration of eligible Renewable Energy Generation
Facilities, issuance of REC, maintenance and settlement of REC Account, repository of
transactions in REC, and such other functions incidental to implementation of REC
Mechanism as may be assigned by CERC from time to time.
• Renewable Regulatory Fund (RRF): The Indian Electricity Grid Code provides for
constitution of a Renewable Regulatory Fund. NLDC, as per the approved detailed
procedure for implementation of the RRF Mechanism, shall maintain and operate the
RRF.
• Power System Development Fund: CERC has notified the Power System Development
Fund Regulations on 04.06.2010. The Power System Development Fund Regulations
also provide for a managing committee headed by Head of NLDC / entity entrusted
with the function of NLDC and RLDCs.
• Disaster management: As per Ministry of Power letter dated 27th May
2009, NLDC is required to act as Central Control Room in case of natural
and man made emergencies / disasters.
• Forum of Load Despatchers (FOLD): FOLD has been constituted by the
Forum of Regulators (FOR) in their ninth meeting held on 14th Nov, 2008.
NLDC is providing secretarial services to the FOLD.
• Maintenance of Pool Accounts: Operation of Regional UI Pool accounts,
regional reactive energy account and congestion charge account shall be
maintained by RLDCs as per IEGC, 2010. Operation of Congestion account
by NLDC as per Power Market Regulations of CERC effective from
20.01.2010.
• Regulation of power supply: In case of default in payment or non-
maintenance of payment security mechanism as per agreement, RLDCs
shall prepare implementation plan for regulation of power supply based
on request of generating company or transmission company, as per CERC
(Regulation of Power Supply) Regulations, 2010.