Power cuts to industries to be lifted by month end

The Andhra Pradesh government had announced it was working to lift the power cuts imposed on industries by this month end once the demand from the agriculture sector comes down.

The rabi season ends in April-May and this would reduce the demand for power for irrigation.

Currently, industries in the state are facing a two-day power cut in a week along with load shedding during peak hours. This is resulting in a drop in production and loss of employment to the labour. However, the industries have been allowed open access to source power from power producers within and outside the state.

Power shortage has also triggered the usage of diesel-run generators. The cost of each unit on account of this comes to Rs 13-14, almost three times the price at which the government supplies power.

According to an official release, merchant plants — including the 200-Mw set up by GMR Barge near Kakinada and Navabharat’s 98 Mw — are ready to offer power throughout the year to the state. Discoms have been allowed to access this power by calling for short-term procurement of up to 500 Mw for one year.

At a review meeting, chief minister K Rosaiah asked state-owned power producer APGenco to complete the ongoing projects without any delay.

Meanwhile, the average energy demand till April 11 stood at 227.76 million units (mu), a 12 per cent increase from 203.36 mu during the same time last year. The peak demand was 10,396 Mw, as against 9,934 Mw during the same period last year.

The average energy met during March 2010 was 228.47 mu (208.6 mu last year).

The energy supplied during 2009-10 also increase 10.57 per cent to 74,767 mu against 67,622 mu during previous year. The demand for energy in the domestic sector was up 15 per cent, commercial rose 14 per cent, and industrial and agriculture were higher by 10 per cent each over previous year.

Hydel generation during 2009-10 was 5,510 mu, 38 per cent less than 8,969 mu estimated by the Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission, the release said.