DVC registers 'highest' power generation at 43.32 bn units in FY23

Damodar Valley Corporation achieved the highest power generation in its 75 years of existence, with a 6.5-per cent on-year rise in 2022-23 to 43.32 billion units, which mostly came from thermal sources, company officials said.

It also registered a robust 29 per cent growth in power sales to Rs 24,432 crore in 2022-23 over the preceding fiscal, aided by tariff revision and a central scheme, they said.

The plant load factor, too, stood at a record 74.23 per cent as against 68.96 per cent in the 2021-22 fiscal.

"In FY'23, billing was Rs 24,432 crore, which is higher by around Rs 5,461 crore over the previous year. Apart from higher generation, regulatory approvals of tariff revision and the Union government's Late Payment Surcharge (LPS) scheme also boosted revenue collection," DVC Chairman Ram Naresh Singh told PTI.

DVC Member Finance Arup Sarkar said billing had risen by about 29 per cent and realisation was higher by 23 per cent in FY'23 to Rs 23,413 crore.

The figures are subject to final auditing.

Sarkar said DVC ensured uninterrupted power to the industry in 2022-23 despite input supply chain disruptions.

"Amid unprecedented demand, we maintained power supply by blending imported coal to ensure seamless power to the country, which was recouping from the Covid pandemic," he said.

Elaborating on the company's performance, Sarkar said the West Bengal Electricity Regulatory Commission had approved its tariff revision for 2017-18 to 2019-20 during 2022-23, and the Jharkhand Electricity Regulatory Commission did the same for 2020-21.

Realisation improved from discoms due to the LPS scheme that restricts power in case of non-payment, he said.

"DVC has already commenced production at its Tubed Coal Block in Jharkhand. The dry fuel is expected to be received soon at the company's power plant, which will help reduce dependence on external coal," Sarkar said.

Singh said the Koderma Unit 1 of 500 MW generated uninterrupted power for 393 days, a milestone considering 2 to 4 per cent forced outages are common in thermal power plants.

DVC plans to implement significant capacity addition in renewable energy in the near future, he added.