Panel approves 500MW annual power purchase from 2 states
GURUGRAM: The Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC) has approved the purchase of 500 megawatts (MW) of electricity, out of the 1,000MW needed to meet the existing power crisis in the state according to a plan generated by Haryana Power Generation Corporation Limited (HPGCL), officials said on Thursday.
While officials clarified that the commission approved the purchase of 500MW of thermal power on Wednesday, they did not say why the commission deferred the approval to purchase 500MW of hydel power.
According to power authorities, the state will buy thermal energy from Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, which will ease the situation by ensuring a sustained supply of 10 million units per day over the course of a year. Officials said hydel power will be able to provide 1.5 million to 7 million units per day over the course of a year, as per the seasonal availability of water. On Monday, HPGCL decided to purchase 1,000MW of electricity for a period of three years as a midterm plan to resolve the current crisis — a 20% to 30% surge in electricity demand statewide — this year instead of an annual 5% to 10% increase in demand across Haryana.
Haryana’s electricity demand in April this year touched around 8,400MW. There is currently a shortfall of 2,000MW, which is being dealt with by statewide regulated power cuts, officials said. The annual electricity
ACCORDING TO AUTHORITIES, THERE IS AN ADDITIONAL DEMAND FOR ELECTRICITY THIS YEAR DUE TO UNUSUALLY HIGH TEMPERATURES
demand in April is about 6,500MW, they added.
According to authorities, the situation worsened as the supply of 1,804MW of power from two private firms was halted six months ago. over pricing issues and one of the two units (capable of producing 600MW of power) of Rajiv Gandhi Thermal Power Plant in Hisar stopped working in September 2020.
PC Meena, the managing director of the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam Limited, confirming the commission’s approval, said that the electricity load across Haryana on Wednesday
(April 27) was 9% more compared to the load on the same day last year and 82% more compared to 2020 when there was a lockdown due to Covid-19.
HPGCL officials said that besides increased demand from rural areas (since farmers need to irrigate their fields), there is an additional demand for electricity this year due to unusually high temperatures and industries are also working in full swing to meet the needs of the market and clear backlog orders which could not be fulfilled due to pandemic-related curbs in 2020 and 2021.
“This year, the rate of power consumption in March-end and the first week of April was the same as the rate of power consumption in May and June every year,” a senior DHBVN official said. He said air conditioners are being used with regularity in urban areas due to the heat, and since most rural areas across the state are electrified, the combined effect is now visible as increase in demand for power.