Haryana govt’s plan to buy 500MW power hits roadblock
The HPPC is filing a review petition in the matter, the state is short of about 2,400MW power every day
CHANDIGARH: Haryana’s bid to buy 500MW power on shortterm basis for three years to tide over the power shortage in state has hit a roadblock.
An order of the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC) to allow the Haryana Power Purchase Centre (HPPC) to buy power from two private power producers only for a limited period starting from April to October each year instead of round-the-year has come as a setback for the state’s plan to buy round-the-clock power.
The state is short of about 2,400MW power every day. This includes 1,424MW of Adani Power, 380MW of Coastal Gujarat Power Ltd (CGPL) and 600MW from Rajiv Gandhi Thermal Power Plant in Hisar.
Power officials said the decision is unacceptable to the private producers as well as the HPPC.
“It is between April to October each years that demand for power in state is at the highest. For rest of the year, from November to March, there is surplus power and even the generators with low variable costs are backed down,” said the regulator in its April 28 order.
Additional chief secretary, power, PK Das said the HPPC is filing a review petition in the matter since the order of the power regulator was not in consonance with their petition. This will mean further delays in procurement of power to tide over the shortage.
The HPPC had earlier filed a petition, seeking approval of the source and adoption of tariff discovered through competitive bidding for procurement of 500MW thermal power on short-term basis for entire year for three years - 150MW and 350MW power from MB Power Madhya Pradesh Ltd and RKM Powergen Pvt Ltd costing Rs 5.70 per unit and Rs 5.75 per unit, respectively.
To justify its order to approve purchase of 500MW for a limited period, the regulator said regarding disposal of the proposed power between the months of November to March, the learned HPPC counsel said the surplus power during winter months will be banked.
“It is commercially imprudent for distribution companies not to back down expensive power source (like in the instant case). Rather they should back down such expensive power and instead bank cheaper power available from existing cheaper power sources,” the regulator said.
The HERC said power generation corporation has taken a specific stand that its second unit at Khedar Power Plant is expected to be in operation within 15 days from the receipt of spare parts from China. It appears that the present shortage is likely to get resolved, the regulator said.