Odisha is set to face average power shortfall of 1,646 MW during 2012-13, according to the 18th Electric Power Survey (EPS) conducted by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA).
The state’s average power requirement for the current fiscal is projected at 4,397 MW against which the availability will be 2,751 MW.
“The power requirement for the state has been extrapolated by the CEA on the basis of increasing load in industrial and domestic sectors. But this year, the sharp jump in power requirement for the state will be driven by charging of villages under Rajeev Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY). The RGGVY will create an additional power requirement of 1200-1300 MW contrary to 968 MW projected initially,” a top energy department official told Business Standard.
Under RGGVY, 1.4 million BPL (below poverty line) households were charged (as on August 15, 2012) of the targeted 3.25 households. RGGVY work is being implemented in the state by three Central PSUs- National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC), National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL).
A senior official of Grid Corporation of Odisha (Gridco) said, “There is no latest data on growth in power consumption of industrial and domestic consumers. The average demand of the state presently stands at 2,700 MW with the peak demand in the range of 3,300-3,400 MW.”
Though Odisha was projected to face power shortfall in 2012-13, the state is poised for a comfortable power surplus situation in the remaining four financial years of the 12th Plan, as per the CEA report.
For 2013-14, Odisha’s power requirement has been projected at 4,686 MW while availability will be 6,356 MW. Similarly, the state’s power availability for 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17 has been pegged at 9,332 MW, 14,208 MW and 16,670 MW respectively. This is higher than the corresponding demand of 4,994 MW, 5,322 MW and 5,672 MW for these financial years.
The state government had signed MoUs (memorandum of understanding) with 29 independent power producers to secure its long-term energy need.
Among the MoU signed units, only Sterlite Energy, a unit of London listed metals & mining major Vedanta Resources Plc, had commissioned its 2,400 coal-fired power station at Burkhamunda near Jharsuguda. Arati Steel has also commissioned its 50 MW coal-based plant near Cuttack. Both Sterlite and Arati Steel were together feeding 313 to the state grid.
