Govt to cut foreign reliance in power infra by 2029

The Indian government has announced plans to reduce dependence on foreign technology in critical power infrastructure by 2029, with the aim of enhancing energy security. The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has outlined a roadmap to develop local control systems and equipment for the national grid, including real-time monitoring and supervisory control of the electricity network.

SCADA systems play a crucial role in electricity networks by collecting and transmitting critical data from power plants and substations to control centers, providing operators with real-time visibility and enabling supervisory control. However, dependence on foreign original equipment manufacturers and proprietary technologies has created interoperability issues, delayed system upgrades, and increased reliance on external support services.

The CEA's report highlights that current SCADA systems suffer from vendor lock-in, with proprietary database architectures and engineering tools making modifications dependent on OEM intervention. These constraints make it challenging to localize hardware, which represents 75% of the total cost of a SCADA system. The committee has proposed a phased approach to eventually eliminate import dependence and ensure SCADA systems are available from Indian entities.

The roadmap covers 38 software modules and 25 hardware components, with 36 software modules expected to be developed in the short term and 16 hardware components ready within two years. The process will involve government funding, testing platforms, and pilot projects to validate indigenous SCADA systems.