Thanks to PM, power-starved AP gets 1,000 MW

The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, has come to the rescue of power-starved Andhra Pradesh directing supply of 1,000 MW, including 800 MW from the eastern grid during 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. and 200 MW from Haryana from Jhajjar power plant.

According to a statement, the State Chief Minister, Mr N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, thanked the Prime Minister for coming to the State's rescue at this crucial juncture. The Prime Minister's directive comes in the backdrop of the State's request to help tide over the current power demand-supply crisis faced due to dwindling coal supplies.

Miners of the State-owned Singareni Collieries Company Ltd are agitating in support of Telangana. This has hampered coal production and power generation in the State.

Mr Reddy mentioned “agricultural sector is passing through a crucial phase. If power supply at the present level is not ensured there is danger of the standing crop getting damaged.”

While NTPC Ramagundam is generating 1400 MW out of 2600 MW, NTPC Simhadri is generating 1300 MW against 1500 MW. NTPC of Ramagundam and Simhadri would be able to generate full capacity if coal is procured from other sources.

The State Government requested for diversion of 1.3 MMSCMD of gas of GMR Vemagiri which is shut down since September 17 to other projects to generate 350 MW. A meeting of the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) has to be convened for diversion of the gas. The State has requested the Ministry of Coal to allocate additional 2 lakh tonnes from Western Coal Fields to APGenco.

Meanwhile, the State has permitted purchase of 980 MW of additional power during October, including 330 MW from RLNG and 550 MW from other sources.

Due to the strike, the daily production of coal from SCCL has come down to 36,700 tonnes per day from 1.5 lakh tonnes per day.

This has meant loss of 17.2 lakh tonnes for the past 20 days.

The State is spending Rs 600 crore towards additional purchase. AP Genco's thermal stations are generating 3,000 MW as against 5,093 MW capacity. The loss is around 56 MU per day (38 MU from AP Genco and 18 MU from NTPC Ramagundam and Simhadri.

The Hydel generation which was around 65 MU per day is now 39 MU per day. The power deficit has reached 48 MU on October 1 with the demand at 275 MU, against last year's 223 MU.