APEPDCL registers lowest transmission loss in country

The Andhra Pradesh Eastern Power Distribution Company Ltd (APEPDCL) — operating in the three north-coastal districts of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam besides East Godavari — has registered the lowest power transmission and distribution losses in the country, at 8.4 per cent, as against the country's average of 30 per cent, according to Mr H.Y. Dora, Director, Operations.

Mr Dora was speaking at a seminar on energy efficiency organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry and the Bureau of Energy Efficiency here on Friday.He said the APEPDCL was taking steps to improve energy conservation and efficiency and to educate the general public.It had distributed six lakh CFL lamps in Visakhapatnam district and had taken up a pilot project in East Godavari district to replace agricultural pump-sets and pipes to improve energy efficiency.

Stress on efficiencyHe said there was a huge demand-supply gap in the power sector and adding capacity would only solve part of the problem as it could never match a rise in demand.Therefore, energy conservation and efficiency should be stressed.Mr Rajeev Kumar Yadav, the project economist of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, outlined the steps being taken to promote awareness about energy efficiency and to reduce the energy intensity of the Indian economy.Small and Medium EnterprisesHe urged the small and medium enterprises in particular to focus on the aspect.The use of obsolete technologies and low energy productivity were the main problems of the SME sector in India.The lack of common infrastructure and institutional finance were compounding the problem.

Energy efficient steps

He said the Bureau of Energy Efficiency had identified 30 clusters of SMEs in different sectors to promote energy efficiency in the country.In Andhra Pradesh too the programme was being implemented in the two Godavari districts (refractory cluster), Bhimavaram in West Godavari (ice-making) and Warangal (rice milling).The bureau was helping units in these clusters implement energy-efficient steps and arrange institutional finance for the purpose.Capt. Sriram Ravichander, the Chairman of the Vizag zone of the CII, said the industry should focus on the vital aspect.