Power deficit down to 10.2% in Feb on increased generation

Increased power generation in the country has brought down the power deficit to 10.2 per cent in February, compared with 12.6 per cent in the same month last year. This has happened despite an increase in peak demand of power.

The peak demand (provisional) for power stood at 120,536 Mw in February, as against 111,561 Mw in the same month last year, according to figures released by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA).

The gap in the demand and supply of power came down to 12,331 Mw, against 14,056 Mw in the same month last year.

The power generation during the month stood at 65,470.44 MU against a target of 66,692.50 MU. In the same month last year, the achieved power generation stood at 61,206.83 MU against a target of 61,951.53 MU.

However, the achieved capacity addition was much lower than the set target. Against a target of 1,016 Mw for February for capacity addition, only 250 Mw was achieved through thermal segment.

In February 2010, power capacity addition of 770 Mw (from thermal and nuclear segments) was achieved against a target of 822 Mw. There was no capacity addition in the hydro segment in February this year against a target of 165 Mw, and neither in the same month last year against a target of 187 Mw.

“Increased generation capacity combined with lower demand from industrial and infrastructure sectors has helped in bringing down the deficit in February. There was also less uptake from the state electricity boards for power, which is another reason for reduced power deficit,” Angel Broking analyst Rupesh Sankhe said.

The deficit was expected to come down to 3.8 per cent in the 2015 due to an incremental capacity addition of about 86,000 Mw, he added.

At the end of February, the northern region had a power deficit of 6.3 per cent with power supply availability at 17,976 Mw, while the western region had a deficit of 13.3 per cent with availability of 19,930 Mw. The southern region had a deficit of 4 per cent with availability of 18,734 Mw, and the eastern region had a deficit of 4.5 per cent with availability of 6,736 Mw. The north eastern region had a 5.5 per cent deficit with availability of 724 Mw. All figures are provisional.