The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has issued draft revised guidelines for the model quality assurance plan for major equipment in the power sector to establish uniform and efficient quality assurance practices across manufacturers, suppliers, and utilities.
The draft guidelines aim to reduce inconsistencies in quality assurance plans, save costs, and ensure reliable and high-quality power supply. They standardise procedures for generation, transmission, and distribution equipment by categorising tests into type tests, routine tests and special tests which are further divided into factory acceptance tests and site acceptance tests. The guidelines emphasise preparing efficient quality assurance plans covering critical tests, optimising customer hold points for inspections, and defining the validity of type tests to reduce redundant testing.