Orissa banks on CPPs to tide over power deficit

With Orissa grappling with a peak power deficit of nearly 700 MW and distribution utilities looking at load shedding to manage the deficit, the state energy department has asked captive power producers to scale up their power supply to 600-650 MW, compared to the present supply of 300 MW.

Besides, with 200 MW power set to come from Ib valley and Sterlite Energy expected to pump in additional 150 MW to the grid, the state hopes to mitigate the power crisis if not entirely overcome it.

“The state will get 200 MW power from the Ib valley station from on Wednesday. Moreover, Sterlite will be providing 399 MW of power to the state grid from on Wednesday. The 110 MW unit of Jindal Steel & Power's (JSPL) captive power plant (CPP) which had run out of order has been restored. With this, we hope to overcome the power deficit to some extent,” state energy minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak told reporters here.

The minister admitted that the Talcher Thermal Power Station (TTPS) and Farakka station of National Thermal Power Corporation, the nation's biggest power generation utility, were yet to be stabilized.

G Mathivathanan, secretary (energy) said, “From on Wednesday, 350 MW of thermal power will be added to the state grid. We have also approached the CPPs to maximize power supply. Presently, we are getting 300 MW from the CPPs and we intend to take it up to 600-650 MW.” He said, disruptions in power supply from NTPC's power stations had created a shortfall of 300-350 MW.