Learn how Larsen & Toubro uses ETAP to analyze and optimize power distribution networks in mission-critical facilities, like airports and data centers

For airports and mission-critical facilities, ETAP is the perfect tool for precise simulation, safety analysis, and digital validation. It enables us to evaluate large-scale networks quickly and accommodate changes during construction.
By R. Balakrishnan, VP & Head MEP Design, Larsen & Toubro Limited

This case study examines the analysis of power distribution networks in mission-critical areas, such as data centers and airports. With its various analysis modules, ETAP is used for network analysis, including load flow and short circuit calculations, to ensure that load shedding and voltage drop remain within permissible limits. The primary focus in mission-critical facilities design is calculating and ensuring safe distances for maintenance staff.

Larsen & Toubro Limited is an Indian multinational company engaged in Engineering, Procurement, Construction Projects (EPC), High-Tech Manufacturing, and Services. It operates in over 50 countries worldwide. A strong, customer-focused approach and the constant quest for top-class quality have enabled L&T to attain and sustain leadership in its major lines of business for over eight decades. They are engaged in core, high-impact sectors of the economy, and their integrated capabilities span the entire spectrum, from design to delivery.

Location: Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Year: 2022

Ensuring accurate calculations and profound studies for large critical electrical distribution networks

Challenges

Designing electrical networks for airports and mission-critical data centers requires extreme reliability, redundancy, and real-time operability. L&T needed a software platform that could:
  • Model large HT/LT electrical networks with hundreds of buses
  • Ensure reliability, redundancy, and availability under all load conditions
  • Validate relay coordination, fault studies, motor acceleration, voltage drop, and arc-flash safety
  • Adapt rapidly to continuous design changes during the construction lifecycle
  • Support detailed analysis beyond what is feasible with spreadsheet calculations
  • Provide accurate short-circuit and relay coordination studies across complex electrical systems
  • Maintain compliance with industry standards and modern engineering practices
  • Enable seamless updates to electrical models as client requirements evolved

Which solutions did they choose?

Selected applications

L&T relies on a suite of ETAP modules, including:
  • Load Flow Analysis
  • Short Circuit Analysis
  • Relay Coordination & TCC Curves
  • Motor Acceleration Studies
  • Arc Flash Analysis
  • Digital Twin Modeling
  • Underground Thermal Analysis
These tools allow precise modeling and verification of electrical performance across airports, data centers, hospitals, and other large infrastructures.

Why do they use ETAP?

Main customer benefits

1. Reliable and efficient electrical network design. ETAP helps L&T validate system performance in advance, ensuring reliability and redundancy across mission-critical operations such as airport terminals, control rooms, chiller plants, and data centers.

2. Faster analysis and reduced engineering effort. Large electrical systems often include hundreds of buses. With ETAP, L&T performs complex analyses much faster than manual spreadsheet-based methods. When client requirements change - as they frequently do - ETAP allows immediate re-analysis, reducing project delays.

3. Improved safety with Arc Flash and coordination studies. Arc Flash labels, PPE selection, relay coordination, and breaker logic sequences are validated early, improving operator safety and compliance.

4. Digital Twin models for advanced evaluation. Using ETAP’s digital modeling environment, L&T builds complete hybrid models of electrical systems that support reliability assessments, outage scenarios, protection studies, and future expansion planning.

5. Comprehensive analysis for mission-critical sectors
Examples include:
  • HT chiller systems
  • Airport redundant supply networks
  • Data center rack-level short-circuit studies
  • Underground cable thermal behavior
  • Reliability indices (KD, SAIFI, etc.)
These insights support safe operation and long-term infrastructure resilience.

What do they think about ETAP?

Customer perspectives

 
Use of software tools like ETAP helps us deliver, execute, and complete projects within the stipulated time in an efficient and correct manner. ETAP ensures reliability for large-scale electrical systems and keeps us updated with extensive equipment libraries.
By R. Balakrishnan, VP & Head MEP Design, Larsen & Toubro Limited

ETAP is extremely user-friendly and supports our engineering teams in analyzing HT/LT networks, arc-flash scenarios, reliability indices, and cable thermal performance. It is indispensable in delivering high-performance infrastructure.
By R. Balakrishnan, VP & Head MEP Design, Larsen & Toubro Limited

 



Videos

Analysis of power distribution network in Mission critical areas – Airports & Datacenters

ETAP Power System Software, with its various analysis modules is used to validate the design of  Larsen & Toubro Construction – Buildings and Factories projects in airports, data centers, hospitals, office buildings etc. Network Analysis, such as Load Flow and Short Circuit Calculations, ensure load shedding and voltage drop within permissible limits, Transformer Sizing Analysis is utilized to meet standard requirements. Cable Sizing and Cable Pulling Modules, along with UG Thermal Analysis modules, validate cable routing at various underground locations. These tools allow for easy planning and approval at the initial project stage. On Safety and Protection – STAR curves help to find the correct protection and selectivity for prestigious projects with critical operations such as airports, data centers, office buildings and hospitals, to ensure smooth power flow without interruptions. Arc Flash Modules help us to quickly create & define Arc Flash Labels, as well as PPE requirements. Ground Grid Analysis is used for effective and economical earth mat design and sizing. Reliability Assessments are part of the design process to ensure the AIDI and CAIDI reliability metrics. Harmonic Analysis, for the sizing of active and passive filters allows for fine-tuning of filter design at the right locations.


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