India suffered peak power shortage of 9% in 2007-12: eco survey

Says resources currently allocated to energy supply are not sufficient for narrowing the gap between energy needs and availability

India witnessed a peak power shortage of 9% during the five years ending 2012 when over 50,000 MW new generation capacity was created, Economic Survey said today.

"During the 11th Five Year Plan (2007-12), nearly 55,000 MW of new generation capacity was created. Yet there continues to be a peak shortage of 9%," it said.

Peak power shortage is shortfall in generation capacity when electricity consumption is maximum.

The survey said the resources currently allocated to energy supply are not sufficient for narrowing the gap between energy needs and energy availability.

One of the key challenges remain resolving the energy bottlenecks. Further, the country's excessive reliance on imported crude oil make it imperative to have an optimal energy mix that will allow it to achieve its long-run goal of sustainable development.

As on March, 2011 country's estimated coal reserves were at about 286 billion tonne, lignite at 81 billion tonne, crude oil at 757 million tonne and natural gas at 1,241 billion cubic metre (BCM).

Electricity generation by power utilities during 2012-13 was targeted to go up by 6.05% to 930 billion units. The growth in power generation during April-December, 2012 was 4.55% as compared to about 9.33% during April-December, 2011.

The estimated hydro potential is about 1,45,000 MW. The total potential for renewable power generation from various sources other than large hydro projects stood at 89,760 MW.

Import dependence on crude oil is projected at 78% while that in coal will be 22.4% by 2016-17, the survey said.

An integrated power transmission grid helps to even out supply-demand mis-matches. The existing inter-regional transmission capacity of 27,750 MW connects the northern, western, eastern and north-easterns in a synchronous mode operating at the same frequency and southern region asynchronously operating in the same mode.

Synchronous inter-connection of the southern region with other regions is expected to be established by April, 2014.

Meanwhile, trading in electricity is enabled through traders and power exchanges that optimises generation resources by facilitating trade and flow of electricity across the country.

It has helped in sale of surplus power by distribution utilities and captive power plants on one hand, and purchase of electricity by deficit firms on the other hand to meet sudden increases in demand, it said.

The capacity addition during the 12th plan period (2012-17) is estimated at 88,537 MW comprising of 26,182 MW in the central sector, 15,530 MW in the state sector and 46,825 MW in the private sector respectively.

The capacity addition target for the year 2012-13 was set at 17,956 MW. A capacity of 9,854 MW has been added till December 2012.