No load-shedding from Dec? With demand-supply gap reducing, MahaVitaran likely to do away with power cuts in state

No load-shedding from Dec?

With demand-supply gap reducing, MahaVitaran likely to do away with power cuts in state

After two decades of suffering, power-deficient Maharashtra may finally be free from load-shedding by December. However, the state may depend on power purchase from short-term contracts and electricity exchange to meet its needs. Due to lack of adequate coal and gas to run the power plants of the state utility, the authorities had to introduce power cuts in the state in 1992. An improvement in the situation has led the MaharashtraState Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MahaVitaran) to gradually withdraw load-shedding in the A, B, C and D groups with plans to do away with it from the E and F groups in November and December. However, there is still confusion over the withdrawal of load-shedding in G-category groups, which have seen maximum losses. A senior energy department official said that while the expected average peak demand in December 2012 was expected to be 14,924 MW, the availability would be around 13,245 MW, with the gap being met through short-term power purchase and the power exchange. A Maharashtra State Power Generation Company Limited (MahaGenco) official admitted that though they had an installed thermal power capacity of 6,980 MW, coal supply constraints were likely to lead to lower generation of around 5,000 MW. Lack of adequate gas for MahaGenco’s 652MW Uran power plant and the 1,940 MW Ratnagiri Gas and Power Private Limited (RGPPL) could also translate into lower generation at just about 450MW and 600MW, respectively. MahaGenco has a 10,237MW installed capacity, which also includes 2,585MW in hydro power and 672MW in gas. Trial runs are being conducted on two sets of 500MW each at the Bhusawal thermal power station. A senior MahaGenco official said the commercial operations of the Bhusawal units were likely to be completed by December-end. “We have the capacity but no coal,” he admitted. However, Pratap Hogade of the Maharashtra Veej Grahak Sanghatana said the utility had not considered 24 hours power supply to the agriculture sector in these plans. “The slogan of load-shedding free Maharashtra will come into existence artificially,” he alleged. In December, MahaVitaran plans to meet around 5,000MW of its 13,245MW expected availability through MahaGenco’s coal-based projects, 450MW through its Uran power plant and 600MW through the Ratnagiri Gas and Power Private Limited (RGPPL). The rest of the power will be sourced from the central sector (3,290 MW), medium term power purchase (775 MW) and other upcoming projects like MahaGenco’s Bhusawal unit, central sector (320 MW) and the private sector.