Bengal to improve hydro-thermal mix

To improve West Bengal’s hydro-thermal power mix which stands at 3:97, the power department is eyeing participation in the upcoming hydel power projects in the north-eastern states and Bhutan where many projects are coming up under bilateral co-operation. “Since we have limited scope in hydel power, we want to get a share in the upcoming hydel projects in the North-Eastern states and Bhutan. We want the Centre to permit us for that. We have identified a couple of projects in Bhutan where we can prepare the detailed project report or WBSEDCL can be made the implementing agency,” said Sunil Mitra, additional chief secretary, department of power and non-conventional energy, West Bengal at an interactive seminar organised by the Merchants’ Chamber of Commerce. The West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (WBSEDCL) has made some proposals to Bhutan in this regard, he informed. The hydel projects could be typically in the range of 600 MW.

Mitra said the power situation in Bengal is better than other states in India, having a higher energy security with a shortfall of 3.3 per cent in February 2009 compared to 6.4 per cent in Andhra Pradesh,16.7 per cent of Madhya Pradesh according to data released by the Central Electricity Act. The peak demand this summer crossed 5300 megawatt (MW) with significant power shortfalls. The power department is expediting the process of commissioning new projects under the 11th and 12th Plan period. In April 2007 the combined generation capacity in the state power system was 4196MW.

In 2008 and 2009, the state added 900 MW capacity in Purulia Power Storage Pump and 1360 MW round the clock power. The commercial commissioning of Bakreswar plant’s unit 5 of 210 MW is expected to be in June-July this year.

“We will complete adding 2470 MW this year, ” Mitra said. Over the next three years, the department has chalked out a plan for capacity addition 1084 MW of which the 250 MW unit by CESC is expected to go onstream by September. The total capacity addition in the state in the 11th Plan period will be 3262 MW. In the 12th plan period, there will a capacity addition of 2020 MW in total. All these projects will be funded by a 70:30 debt equity ratio. CESC is expected to establish its Haldia project in the 12 th plan period.

But the state is likely to opt out of a super critical power plant structure, due to lack of organisational skills and sufficient technology backup. Mitra urged for regulatory framework for allied sectors like railway and coal.

“The coal shortage is an endemic problem, there has to be significant investments in increasing domestic coal production and improving railway infrastructure,” said Mitra. WBPDCL have been recently awarded two coal blocks totalling to coal reserves of estimated 600 million tons one each in Jharkhand and Asansol.