Power situation to improve from early may with 1,982 MW added supply
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The country’s overall electricity generation is set to increase by around 1,982 megawatt (MW) from the first week of May as one closed unit of India’s Adani power plant and another unit of SS Power will come online by late April, joint secretary of Power Division under the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources (MPEMR) Umme Rehana said on Thursday.
The closed unit of India’s Adani power plant will come online on April 26, and the SS Power Plant on April 28, she said while speaking at a press conference in the secretariat.
She said the country’s existing power crisis is the outcome of an energy crisis driven by the persistent Middle East crisis since February 28.
Although the country has more than sufficient electricity generation capacity, gas and fuel shortages are limiting output.
Gas-based plants produced 5,274 MW yesterday, less than half of their 12,154 MW capacity.
She noted that full gas-based capacity requires 2,000 million cubic feet of gas daily, but only 850–900 million cubic feet are currently being supplied.
Even 1,200 million cubic feet would allow 7,200 MW generation.
To cut costs, use of furnace oil and diesel remains minimal, the Power Division official explained.
The official predicted that the country might face an electricity shortfall of around 3,000 MW on Thursday as the electricity demand is on the rise with the rise of mercury.
Electricity generation might dip to around 14,000 MW against a demand of 17,000 MW on Thursday, the Power Division official said.
On Wednesday, electricity demand was around 15,767 MW, while supply was around 13,681 MW, resulting in 2,086 MW of load-shedding, she stated.