APGenco to get more rakes from Mahanadi, Western Coalfields

The Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Corporation (APGenco) is trying to supplement coal by getting additional rakes from Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) and Western Coalfields Limited (WCL), besides planning to procure 100,000 tonne of imported coal.

“Generation from coal-based stations has been affected to an extent of 1,050 Mw (of which AP’s share is around 330 Mw) from NTPC Ramagundam and 65 Mw from Simhadri due to reduced coal stock position. NTPC Ramagundam units and Simhadri Unit-III are running near technical minimum,” APGenco said in a press release on Saturday.

One unit of 500-Mw capacity of NTPC Ramagundam was shut down on September 30 and another unit of 500 Mw is programmed for a shut down due to low coal receipts, it said, adding that all out efforts were being made by the state government and power utilities to secure additional power, additional coal and gas so that least inconvenience was caused to the public.

Stating the actual generation of power from gas-based stations was 1,385 Mw as against 2,495 Mw, APGenco said the Union ministry of petroleum and natural gas had been requested for diversion of 1.7 mmscmd (million metric standard cubic metre per day) of gas to gas-based projects, which would result in additional generation of 400 Mw.

On the power purchase front, it said around 650 Mw of power purchases were tied up for October 2011 from inter and intra-state generators.

“APTransco has overdrawn 0.28 million units (mu) from the grid. Similarly, 12.84 mu (535 Mw) has been taken on banking basis from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana and 11.28 mu (470 Mw) through power exchange and bilateral transactions. The availed power on banking basis will be returned during November and December 2011, and July 2012,” the release added.