Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (Indian Electricity Grid Code) (First Amendment) Regulations, 2024

[23 October 2024]

In exercise of powers conferred under clause (h) of subsection (1) of Section 79 read with clause (g) of sub-section (2) of Section 178 of the Electricity Act, 2003 (36 of 2003), and all other powers enabling it in this behalf, and after previous publication, the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission hereby makes the following regulations to amend the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (Indian Electricity Grid Code) Regulations, 2023 (hereinafter referred to as "the Principal Regulations").

Regulation - 1. Short Title and Commencement.

(1)     These regulations may be called the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (Indian Electricity Grid Code) (First Amendment) Regulations, 2024.

(2)     These regulations shall come into force from the date of publication in the official Gazette except for Amendment to Clause (12) of Regulations 45 of Principal Regulations.

(3)     Amendment to Clause (12) of Regulation 45 shall come into force from 1.04.2024.

Regulation - 2. Amendment to Regulation 19 of the Principal Regulations.

(1)     Sub-Clause (b) of Clause (2) of Regulation 19 of the Principal Regulations shall be substituted with subclauses (b) and (c) as follows:

"(b)  Injection of infirm power shall not exceed one year from the date of first synchronization for generating stations other than REGS and ESS (except Hydro PSP ESS).

(c)   Injection of infirm power shall not exceed 45 (forty-five) days from the date of first-time energization and integration (FTC) approval for REGS and ESS (except Hydro PSP ESS)."

(2)     A Proviso shall be inserted in Clause (3) of Regulation 19 of the Principal Regulations as follows:

"Provided that for REGS and ESS (except Hydro PSP ESS), extension of period for injection of infirm power beyond the stipulated period may be allowed (a) for a period up to three months by respective RLDC on an application(s) made by such generating station or ESS(except Hydro PSP ESS) to respective RLDC along with detailed reasons, at least 10 days in advance of the completion of the stipulated period, (b) for a period beyond three months, by the Commission on an application(s) made by such generating station or ESS(except Hydro PSP ESS) along with detailed reasons, at least 15 days in advance of the completion of the stipulated period".

Regulation - 3. Amendment to Regulation 22 of the Principal Regulations.

(1)     Words "continuous four (4) hours" shall be replaced with words "four (4) hours on a cumulative basis in a single day" in sub-clause (d) of Clause (3) of Regulation 22 of the Principal Regulations.

(2)     The following proviso shall be inserted under sub-clause (f) of Clause (3) of Regulation 22 of the Principal Regulations:

"Provided that if it is not possible to demonstrate the design capabilities up to the rated water drawing levels due to insufficient reservoir levels, the COD may be declared after demonstrating the capabilities at available water drawing levels, subject to the condition that design capabilities up to the rated water drawing levels shall be demonstrated immediately when sufficient reservoir level is available after COD.

Provided further that if such a generating station is not able to demonstrate the design capabilities when sufficient water is available, the generating company shall have the option to either go for a repeat trial run or de-rate the capacity. If the generating company decides to de-rate the unit capacity in terms of sub-clause (b) of Clause (2) of Regulation 22 of these Regulations, such de-rating shall be effective from the COD."

Regulation - 4. Amendment to Regulation 27 of the Principal Regulations.

(1)     The Clause (2) of the of Regulation 27 of the Principal Regulations shall be substituted as under:

"On declaration of commercial operation date, scheduling of the generating station or unit thereof, shall start from 0000 hours of D+2 (where D is the date when a generating station intimates the commercial operation of the generating station or unit thereof) or the commercial operation date declared by the generating station or unit thereof, whichever is later."

Regulation - 5. Amendment of Regulation 45 of the Principal Regulations.

(1)     The Third and Fourth Proviso to Clause 12 of Regulation 45 of the Principal Regulations shall be substituted as follows:

"Provided further that the regional entity thermal generating stations whose tariffs are adopted under Section 63 of the Act shall be compensated for part load operation, that is, for generation below the normative level of operation, in terms of the provisions of the contract entered into by such generating stations with the beneficiaries or buyers, or in the absence of such provision in the contract, as per the mechanism already in force under the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (Indian Electricity Grid Code) Regulations, 2010:

Provided further that the thermal generating stations whose tariffs are determined under Section 62 of the Act by the Commission, shall be compensated for part load operation as per the provisions of applicable Tariff Regulations."

Regulation - 6. Amendment to Regulation 49 of the Principal Regulations.

(1)     The words "unless the consent is withheld by the beneficiary or buyer in writing" under sub-clause (l) of Clause (1) of Regulation 49 of the Principal Regulations shall be substituted with the words "without the consent of beneficiary(ies)."

(2)     A new sub-clause (v-a) shall be added after sub-clause (v) of Clause (2)(a) of Regulation 49 of the Principal Regulations as follows:

"(v-a) In case a regional entity generating station, whose tariff is determined under Section 62 of the Act, gets a schedule below minimum turndown level for Off-Peak hours of the day, however, gets a schedule above minimum turndown level for Peak hours of the day, where Peak hours and Off-Peak hours shall be as declared by the concerned RLDC under the Tariff Regulations, the schedule below the minimum turndown level may, on the request by such generating station to NLDC shall be adjusted as follows:

(a)      the schedule below the minimum turndown level shall be adjusted under SCED such that the schedule in all time blocks of the day is at least at the minimum turndown level. The schedule of the marginal generating station (s) (A), that is, the generating station with the highest energy charge in the stack prepared under and after completion of step at sub-clause (iv) of this clause, shall be reduced, subject to ramp up or ramp down rate, response time, transmission congestion and such other parameters as stipulated in the Detailed Procedure.

(b)      In case the SCED energy charge or SCED Compensation Charge, as applicable, of such generating station (A), which was required to be issued SCED down, is lower than the energy charge of the generating station (B) whose schedule was increased up to the minimum turndown level, the difference between the SCED energy charge or the SCED Compensation Charge (for A) and the energy charge (for B) shall be payable by the entity which has caused the schedule of the generating station or unit thereof below minimum turndown level.

(c)      In case the SCED energy charge or SCED Compensation Charge, as applicable, of such generating station (A) which was required to be issued SCED down, is higher than the energy charge of the generating station (B) whose schedule was increased up to the minimum turndown level, the difference between the SCED energy charge or SCED Compensation Charge (for A) and the energy charge (for B) shall be adjusted in accordance with sub-clauses (viii) to (x) of this clause.

(d)      The above steps shall be carried out only after the generating station furnishes to the RLDC the efforts made by such generating station to achieve a schedule of Minimum turndown level through the sale of power in the Power market (under bilateral or collective transactions).

(e)      NLDC shall submit a detailed Procedure including the modalities of payment of charges as per subclause (b) of Regulation 49(2)(a)(v-a), within a month of notification of these regulations, for approval of the Commission."

(3)     The words ", and also subject to the condition the entire drawal schedule against such generating station can be accommodated under SCED" under sub-clause (a)(vi)(b) of Clause (2) of Regulation 49 of the Principal Regulations shall be deleted.

(4)     The words "or partial outage as per clause (7-a) of this Regulation" shall be added at the end of the first proviso to sub-clause (a) to Clause (4) of Regulation 49 of the Principal Regulations.

(5)     The following proviso shall be inserted under sub-clause b(ii) of Clause (4) of Regulation 49 of the Principal Regulations:

"Provided that downward revision of schedules by the buyers for D day, after 1430 hrs on D-1 day in the generating station is permissible only for beneficiaries which have scheduled above their respective share of minimum turndown level in the generating station:

Provided also that downward revision by such beneficiaries, which have scheduled above their respective share of minimum turndown level in the generating station, shall be permissible limited to a quantum such that overall schedule of the generating station is at least at Minimum turndown level.

The downward revision of schedules by such beneficiaries for D day, after 1430 hrs on D-1 day shall be permissible on a pro-rata basis of the power scheduled above the minimum turndown level of their share at 1430 hrs of D-1 day.

Illustration for a sample generating station for a sample time block:

(6)     The following Clause (7-a) shall be inserted after Clause (7) of Regulation 49 of the Principal Regulations:

"(7-a) Revision of Declared Capacity and schedule of a generating station or ESS (as an injecting entity) shall be allowed only in case of bilateral transactions and not in case of collective transaction as per following details:

(a)      The generating station (other than lignite, gas based thermal generating station, and hydro generating station) or ESS (as an injecting entity) shall be allowed a maximum of 4 (four) revisions of Declared Capacity and schedule in a day subject to a maximum of 60 (sixty) revisions during a month, due to reasons such as a partial outage of the unit or variation of fuel quality or any other technical reason to be recorded in writing:

Provided that RLDC may allow upward revision of DC beyond the above limit keeping in view grid requirements.

(b)      The generating station based on lignite, gas, or hydro generating station shall be allowed 6(six) revisions of Declared Capacity and schedule in a day subject to a maximum of 120 (One hundred twenty) revisions during a month, due to reasons such as a partial outage of the unit or water availability for hydro generating stations or fuel quality or variations in the supply of gas for gas generating stations or any other technical reason to be recorded in writing:

Provided that RLDC may allow upward revision of DC beyond the above limit keeping in view grid requirements."