7,250-Mw power capacity shut in western region

The shutdown could lead to a power crisis in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Goa and Daman & Diu

Power generation capacity of 7,250 Mw was shut in the western region on Wednesday. While a report by the Western Regional Load Despatch Centre in Mumbai said Lanco, NTPC, MahaGenco and India Bulls, with a cumulative capacity of 4,550 Mw, were unable to supply power in the western grid due to a coal shortage, Adani Power also shut 2,700-Mw capacity at its Mundra plant.

This follows Tuesday's Supreme Court ruling that Tata Power's ultra mega power plant (UMPP) and Adani Power's Mundra plant couldn't levy additional charges due to a rise in fuel costs.

The shutdown of power-generation capacity could lead to a potential power crisis in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Goa and Daman & Diu.

"From the afternoon of August 27, generation availability has further been reduced by 2,700 Mw because of closing of units in Adani Power-Mundra. The 330-Mw units - 2, 3 and 4 of APL Mundra - have been closed, reportedly on coal shortage. The 660-Mw units - 7, 8 and 9 - have been closed, reportedly on account of a payment default by Haryana utilities," said the Western Regional Load Despatch Centre report.

Adani Power did not respond to questions on coal shortage, as well as on payment defaults by Haryana utilities.

Last week, NTPC's 4,260-Mw Vindhyachal power plant had said four of its units (two of 210 Mw each and two of 500 Mw each) weren't operational due to a coal shortage, adding the rest of the plant was operating at half the capacity. In a letter to the power ministry last month, NTPC had said coal stocks at six of its power plants - Rihand, Vindhyachal, Sipat, Simhadri, Ramagundam and Singrauli, with a combined capacity of 16,840 Mw - had reached critical levels.

Reportedly, Tata Power's Mundra-based UMPP also shut two units (800 Mw each). "Tata Power's Coastal Gujarat Power Ltd (CGPL) is maintaining declared capacity. However, unit 2 of the UMPP has been down due to a boiler tube leakage; unit 4 was down due to a re-heater tube leakage on Wednesday; 2,400 Mw is functional. CGPL continues to look for an early resolution to the ongoing issue of under-recovery of fuel price," said a company statement.