Grid failure: Delhi govt starts work on islanding facility

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had approached the Union Power Ministry for creation of the 'islanding facility' in Delhi on the lines of south Mumbai following collapse of the Northern grid in July that led to a blackout for several hours.

The city government has started ground work for setting up the facility after getting a nod to the proposal from both the Power Ministry and the Planning Commission.

"The main objective of the initiative is to isolate our generating stations so that supply of power does not get affected even if the Northern grid collapses," Delhi Power Secretary Shakti Sinha told PTI.

Currently, Delhi generates around 1,200 MW of power which will increase to 2,700 MW once the 1,500 MW capacity Bawana power plant, built at a cost of Rs 4,500 crore, starts generating power at its optimum level.

The power demand in the city fluctuates between 4,000 to 5,300 MW depending on weather. The city gets around 3,000 MW of power from a number of power generating stations in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal, Uttarakhand and Haryana.

Sinha said the power department is in the process of carrying out the technical feasibility study for the ambitious project following which actual implementation will take place.

"Technical feasibilities are being worked out. The primary aim of the project is to insulate our essential services from any disruptions in power supply due to trippings in the grid," Sinha said.

If islanding facility is set up, then Delhi, in case of technical problem in the Northern grid, will continue to get power from its own generating stations by cutting its transmission network with the grid.

The grid failure in July had severely affected the national capital for two consecutive days.

Planning Commission Deputy Chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia last month had supported the Delhi government's demand for setting up of the 'islanding facility' when Dikshit took up the matter with him.