JOIN USPvt power firms come to State aid
Sources in the power sector said tenders for power supply were called for earlier this week, and two companies, JSW Steel and Reliance Power Limited, had come forward to supply electricity at Rs 4.80 and 4.75 per unit, respectively. (Reliance has revised the tender, offering to supply power at Rs 4.54 a unit).
JSW Steel already has a medium-term agreement with the State to supply 200 megawatts of power. Sources said the decision was to make up for the power deficit — which is over 2,000 megawatts — and avoid pressure on hydel power plants in the days to come.
The Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL) sources said the power shortage was so severe that already 40-45 million units (mu) of electricity from the hydel power plants were being pumped into the State grid to meet the scarcity. “Last year at this time, we generated just 30 mu of power. This year, we have good rainfall and can generate 1,900 mu of power, also keeping a possible summer crisis in view. Given the situation, we have to generate more,” said a KPCL source.
Pointing out that all the hydel stations were brimming with water, the KPCL officials said though hydel power was being utilised to meet the peak load demand, considering the crisis, it was now used as base load. However, experts have warned that the summer situation might worsen if the same trend continues for some more days.
Admitting to the unexpected situation, KPCL officials said that ‘run off the river’ projects across Almatti might come as a blessing in disguise, yielding about 3-4 mu in case Maharashtra releases more water as a result of good rainfall in that state.
“Besides, good rainfall in Kodagu can bail us out with an additional 1.5mu at Shivasamudram,” said an official.
Coal crisis
As per agreement, the State was to get six rakes of coal from Singareni Collieries Limited (each rake contains 60 wagons. One rake contains 3,500 tonnes of coal), Western Collieries Limited, and MCL in Odisha. Following the Telangana stir, rail services have been hit and there has been no coal supply to the Karnataka thermal power plant.
Two units of 210 megawatt each at the Raichur Thermal Power Station have been shut since past five days. The sole unit at Bellary Thermal Power Station and Udupi Power Corporation Limited have also been closed.
In addition, the thermal power station at Ramagundam has also come to a halt. This has resulted in a shortage of about 2,000 MW of power in the State. RTPS alone requires 28,000 tonnes of coal every day.
Mismanagement
Doubts are also being raised about the present power crisis in the wake of electricity supply companies seeking an increase in the tariff.
Experts, on the condition of anonymity, said the crisis was a case of mismanagement and artificially created. (Coal shortage has existed for a couple of years).
“They should have understood this and planned alternative routes to procure coal. This apart, the only problem they are facing is at Telangana. What about the other states?” asked an expert.
They pointed out that the minister of state for railways being from Karnataka, the government could have resolved the issue and piled up coal stocks to meet any eventuality.
Stating that the power utilities never bothered to increase the plant load factors, experts alleged that the companies were trying to force either load-shedding on consumers or convince them and the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission that the only solution was to buy power at a higher price.