Peak power deficit in October at 3%: CEA

Peak power deficit in the country shrunk to 3% in October, as against 9.4% in the same month last year, helped by higher hydel generation due to heavy rains and lower industrial growth.

“Less agricultural load and more hydel generation due to heavy monsoon are the prime reasons for reduced peak power deficit. Also the industrial sector did not grow as expected leading to a reduction in demand,” a Central Electricity Authority (CEA) official told PTI.

 

Peak power deficit or shortage in electricity supply when the demand is maximum for October stood at 3,845 megawatts (MW), or 3%, as per the CEA data.

 

The total peak power demand in October 2013 was 1,30,022MW of which 1,26,177MW was met.

In October last year, the total peak power requirement stood at 1,34,045MW of which 1,21,473MW was met leading to a shortage of 12,572MW or 9.4%, the data added.

 

Western region emerged as the best performer in October this year, registering just 0.1% deficit.

Total power demand of the western states including Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra stood at 37,411MW, and 37,371MW was met, the data said.

 

The peak power deficit of the western states was 1.5% in October 2012.

The total electricity requirement of the Northern region comprising Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan was 41,154MW, and supply 38,385MW. It recorded a peak power deficit of 6.7% or 2,769MW.

 

This number stood at 4,338MW or 10.6% in October 2012, the data said.

The peak electricity shortage in the Northeastern states of Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Tripura and Nagaland grew to 4.3% in October this year, as against 3.3% last year.

The total power demand of these ‘seven sisters´ states, in October 2013, was 2,140MW of which 2,048MW was met, the data showed.

 

Southern region showed the most improvement by posting a deficit of 2.2% in October 2013 as compared to a whopping 18.7%, last year.

 

“This improvement is primarily because of new capacity addition in the region,” the official added.

The total power demand of the southern states, in October 2013, was 33,702MW of which 32,968MW was made available.

 

Peak power deficit of the eastern region states—Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Sikkim, Odisha and Andaman and Nicobar Islands—in October, this year was 210MW or 1.3%.

Power supplied to these states was 15,405MW as against the demand of 15,615MW. PTI