Power deficit shrinks as thermal units restore production

Grid Corporation of Orissa (Gridco) has now reasons to cheer as gap between power requirement and production has come down with thermal power units restoring production, saving the power purchaser to buy expensive power from neighbouring states.

Gridco is currently drawing about 2,200 Mw power from different power generators in the state, higher than 1,650 Mw two weeks ago. The increase in power supply was mainly because of restoration of some units at Talcher Thermal of National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC).

By first week of December, Gridco will be able to meet the total power requirement of the state, officials said.

"By first week of December we will be getting more power from NTPC Kaniha unit and also from second power unit of Jindal Power and Steel (JSPL). We hope to meet our average power demand of 2,700 Mw by then,” P K Pradhan, director (commerce) of Gridco said.

Gridco is currently getting 750 Mw of power from private power producers which include JSPL and Sterlite Energy. It has plans to buy another 150 Mw from Sterlite through the network of Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCIL), informed Pradhan.

Besides, as part of the Orissa Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC) mandated minimum renewable energy buying norms, Gridco would be adding about 24 Mw by the end of December in its kitty, mainly from bio mass and solar power.

Power production in the state dropped sharply two weeks ago following technical glitch in some coal-fired units and lower generation from hydro power plants, prompting the power distributing companies to announce power cuts across the state.

"That situation may not arise after first week of December,” the Gridco official said.

Orissa has the hydro power production potential of about 2,000 Mw and it gets about 700-900 Mw average power throughout the year. But the current power generation is below 450 Mw.

The fall in hydro power generation is because of lower water availability as the state government has directed the reservoirs to release water for irrigation purpose for winter crops, a measure to support the farm output that has already suffered due to massive floods in the monsoon season.