India Power Corporation Limited (IPCL), headquartered in Kolkata, has been in the power supply business since 1919 and is one of the oldest utilities in India. Over the years, IPCL has achieved significant milestones in operational excellence in its distribution network, including one of the lowest percentages transmission and distribution losses in the country, averaging at just 2.47 per cent, surpassing national benchmarks. IPCL also boasts 100 per cent automatic meter reading implementation for industrial customers and an impressive 99.5 per cent collection efficiency. Today, it is one of the only discoms in eastern India where more than 50 per cent of its power supply comes from renewable energy sources.
Current operations
IPCL holds a distribution license spanning across 798 sq. km, covering the large and growing Asansol-Raniganj area of West Bengal. Its transmission and distribution (T&D) network spans approximately 1,244.99 ckt km, covering voltage levels from 400 V to 220 kV. Over time, the Asansol-Raniganj region has transformed into a bustling industrial hub with more than 1,000 industrial units, a population of 1.7 million, and a combined power demand of 1,500 MW. Notably, West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited and Damodar Valley Corporation operate as parallel licensees in this area as well. This growth has prompted IPCL to expand its network and cater to the increasing demands of commercial and industrial (C&I) consumers.
IPCL serves a diverse consumer base, including government institutions, industrial entities, railways and households across the Asansol-Raniganj region. With a connected load of 250 MW, the company supplies power to key sectors such as railway traction and industrial consumers. Its distribution infrastructure also includes 582 distribution transformers.
IPCL has implemented advanced technologies and strategic measures to enhance the efficiency and reliability of its distribution network. The company maintains an optimal high tension (HT) to low tension (LT) ratio, employs high voltage distribution system layouts, and has established multiple power sourcing points to ensure a steady and reliable power supply.
It has also adopted cutting-edge technologies such as supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), internet of things (IoT), advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and smart prepaid meters, 24×7 call centres, data analytics, and online prepaid recharge facilities for customers. IPCL has consistently maintained its network of connected meters, achieving an uptime close to 100 per cent, with more than 99 per cent of meters communicating at any given time. For the company, the continuous upgrading of systems applications and product (SAP) systems is central to enhancing its operational efficiency and adaptability. These initiatives have helped IPCL maintain T&D losses at approximately 2.47 per cent and a best-in-class supply reliability rate of 99.5 per cent.
Renewables integration
Currently, more than 50 per cent of IPCL’s power supply is derived from renewable sources, with plans to elevate this share to 75 per cent by March 2025. It has a 200 MW power purchase agreement with Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited. This includes 100 MW of wind-solar hybrid renewable energy and another 100 MW of round-the-clock renewable energy to ensure consistent and reliable green power supply.
IPCL has an asset-light renewable portfolio of over 24 MW of wind energy capacity located in Gujarat. Additionally, in partnership with West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation Limited, IPCL established India’s first grid-connected solar power plant in the Jamuria region in West Bengal, with a capacity of 2 MW.
In April 2023, the company achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first discom in the region to export green power at the Indian Energy Exchange green day-ahead market, successfully selling solar power. One of IPCL’s stand-out initiatives is the introduction of green tariffs tailored for C&I consumers, encouraging them to adopt cleaner and more sustainable energy sources, thereby contributing to a greener energy landscape.
IPCL’s promotion of rooftop solar installations is another noteworthy effort, empowering individuals to generate their own clean energy while supporting the growth of distributed renewable power generation.
IPCL has a strong financial performance track record. In 2023-24, the company’s debt-equity ratio improved to 0.18 from 0.23 in 2022-23, indicating a reduction in financial leverage. The total income increased to Rs 6,790.5 million, up from Rs 6,499.7 million in 2022-23, and the net profit for the year rose to Rs 171.8 million from Rs 158.3 million, showcasing positive growth in revenue and earnings.
Plans and new opportunity areas
To address the challenges of intermittency associated with renewable energy, in a key initiative, in collaboration with Switzerland-based E2S Power, IPCL became the only utility to pilot a 250 kWh thermal energy storage unit within its 12 MW integrated thermal power plant (TPP), showcasing a novel approach to repurposing conventional thermal assets into clean energy storage facilities.
Building on this success, it also emerged as the winning bidder for a 200 MWh thermal energy storage installation for a prominent national generation company and is now in the final stages of negotiations. This initiative not only tackles the challenges of making TPPs more flexible but also ensures reliable power availability during peak demand. With its potential for long-duration energy storage and a shorter gestation period compared to other similar projects, the technology offers a promising solution for the future of energy storage in India.
IPCL is also actively pursuing opportunities beyond its licensed area and has joined the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan initiative to provide green and affordable power to farmers. It plans to establish 26 solar plants across four districts in Maharashtra—Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Dhule, Nanded and Solapur—aimed at generating 133 MW of solar power to supply to the state discom, Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited. This initiative is expected to reduce 150,000 tonnes of emissions annually. Land identification for the solar plants has already been completed and the company has engaged with renowned engineering, procurement and construction partners for implementation. The modules are in line with the Make in India initiative.
Another key initiative is smart metering. IPCL has undertaken a major initiative to implement 350,000 AMI smart meters across five cities in Madhya Pradesh—Mhow, Khargone, Ujjain, Dewas and Ratlam. So far, 275,000 smart meters have already been deployed. Mhow and Khargone are now fully equipped with 100 per cent smart metering. This initiative aims to minimise operational losses and improve customer service through real-time energy usage monitoring. With a service level agreement exceeding 99 per cent, the project is among the leading AMI projects being taken up
in India.
Furthermore, IPCL is also advancing as a smart utility by implementing key digital initiatives to enhance operational efficiency and customer service. SCADA systems and IoT-enabled devices have been employed to monitor distribution transformers, enabling near real-time parameter tracking and significantly reducing outages. The company is dedicated to the continuous improvement and expansion of its SAP system. In 2023-24, IPCL successfully incorporated changes to the late payment surcharge interest rate and billing rules into the customer billing system. The system now incorporates a partial waiver of industrial duty for
specific consumers.
Business intelligence dashboards provide insights into key performance indicators, inventory, complaints, outages and transformer performance, streamlining decision-making. IPCL has also designed its own outage management system, leveraging IoT and smart meters for proactive monitoring and alerts. Robust digital security measures, including firewalls and single sign-on-based access, have been implemented to safeguard
data integrity.
IPCL is also evaluating battery energy storage systems (BESS) in its distribution network. It has signed an agreement with EY Parthenon and the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet for a BESS project in Asansol.
IPCL is expanding into electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure, investing in EV charging solutions to enhance its position as a comprehensive energy provider. In partnership with a leading tech firm, the company is setting up a 24×7 EV charging facility at its head office in Kolkata.
Net net, IPCL’s commitment to environmental sustainability and combatting climate change, through its initiatives such as storage and higher renewable energy procurement along with its digital and smart metering initiatives, is paving the way towards a greener and future-ready utility.
