Noida: Noida power department has begun installing 250 new transformers across the district at an investment of Rs 25 crore, ahead of peak summer demand. The units, with capacities of 250 kVA and 400 kVA, will operate at a maximum load of 50% to prevent burnouts from overloading — a recurring problem during summer months when electricity demand surges.Power department officials said that the project is being carried out collaboratively by both the central and state govts.“By keeping the load on these transformers to 50%, we are significantly minimising the risk of failures and ensuring a reliable power supply for our consumers,” said Vivek Kumar Patel, superintending engineer (technical), Noida power department, PVVNL.The district currently has over 24,000 transformers, ranging in capacity from 10 kVA to 650 kVA and serving various needs from residential areas to agricultural tube-well connections. Most of these are 25 kVA transformer units located primarily in rural parts of the district like Dadri, Jewar and Dankaur.Additional transformers will be deployed in locations currently experiencing overloading issues, including Salarpur, Sadarpur and sectors 62, 63, 12, 11, 77, among others.“As a result, even as summer temperatures rise, the likelihood of transformer burnouts or explosions will be drastically minimised, ensuring a continuous and uninterrupted power supply for consumers,” said Sanjay Kumar Jain, chief engineer, Noida power department, PVVNL.Transformers often fail due to rising temperatures and consequent overloading. Hence, summer months bring a significantly higher risk of transformer-related accidents and malfunctions.The operating temperature of a transformer typically ranges from 40 to 50 degrees Celsius. However, during the summer season, the ambient temperature can soar to between 45 and 50 degrees. Under these conditions, there is a persistent risk of transformers burning out or exploding. The addition of these 250 new transformers is expected to drastically reduce such occurrences, officials said.“This upgrade is part of our ongoing efforts to modernise the power supply infrastructure and accommodate the growing energy demands of our district. The successful commissioning of these transformers will virtually eliminate the risk of burnouts,” Patel added.
