Central Power Research Institute (CPRI) is an autonomous Society under the Ministry of Power. Set up in 1960 by the Government of India, it was re-organized into an autonomous society in 1978.
Governing Body of the Institute comprises Members representing Government, electrical utilities, industry and academic institutions. The Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Power, is the President of the Governing Council. The Chief Executive of this Institute is the Director General who is also Member Secretary of the Governing Council.
CPRI, besides serving as a Nodal Centre for applied Research in Electrical Power Engineering, serves as an Apex body for undertaking Testing & Certification of Power equipment. Being an Independent National Third Party Laboratory, CPRI:
- Provides prompt services to Manufacturers and Utilities in Quality Assurance Testing and Certification of products and goods delivered to Power Sector
- Provides assistance to Power Sector in improving efficiency and reliability in all spheres of activity
- Provides services in the areas of Condition Monitoring, Renovation, Modernization and life extension of power plant equipment through Diagnostic and Life Extension Studies for achieving economy and reliability in power systems
- Promotes applied research in Power System Technology Development
The Institute has Research laboratories and Testing facilities engaged in specialized fields at different locations in India. It has more than 200 Engineers and Scientists besides other supporting staff to guide and maintain various operations of the Institute. The headquarters of the Institute is in Bengaluru and its Units at Bhopal, Hyderabad, Nagpur, Noida, Kolkata and Guwahati.
Over the years, CPRI has built up expertise in the areas of transmission and distribution systems, Short Circuit Testing, Ultra High Voltage Testing, High Voltage Testing, Testing of Power Capacitors, Power Cables and Accessories, Solar and LED Lighting Systems, Air Conditioners, Refrigerators, Energymeters, Smart meters and various other electrical equipment. Expertise in Energy Auditing, Transmission Line Tower Design, Conductor Vibration Studies, Transformer Oil Reclamation and Testing, Diagnostic & Condition Monitoring, Estimation of Remaining Life of Equipment, New Materials for Power System Application and other related fields. The Institute has Seismic testing and Real Time Digital Simulation facility, the State-of-the-art Infrastructure facilities for undertaking Collaborative Research with academic Institutions, utilities and industry have been established.