JOIN USThe second unit of the coal-based Udupi Power Corporation Limited (UPCL) thermal plant will start functioning in a week.
Energy Minister Shobha Karandlaje, during her visit to the plant on Friday, told mediapersons that commissioning of the 600 MW plant was delayed as the company had not followed instructions of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board on pollution control measures.
The minister said work on tranmission infrastructure, including the 400 kv power supply line between Padubidri and Hassan had been completed. Power will be transmitted from the plant to Shantigrama in Hassan district for distribution across the State. As per the plan, 20 per cent of power generated by the UPCL will be supplied to Punjab and the rest to Karnataka.
The State government, the National Thermal Power Corporation Limited and the State Load Dispatch Center will decide allocation of power among the escoms, the minister stated.
CERC tariff
The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) will decide the power tariff based on cost of production and import of coal, Karandlaje said.
However, the minister denied the allegation that the government’s decision to purchase power at Rs 3.17 a unit, against the CERC recommendation of Rs 2.25, had caused a loss of RS 425 crore to the State exchequer.
“Import of coal costs Rs 4 to Rs 4.5 a kg. If the CERC tariff indicates that we have paid excess money, we will regulate the price in the days to come” she said.
The 500-MW second unit of the Bellary Thermal Plant will too begin operation within 15 days. The UPCL and the Bellary plant together will generate an additional 1,100 MW of power, she added.
Power crisis
Shobha said the power generated through windmills had come down to 80 MW from 1,500 MW for the past two days. “We have called tender for supply of 750 MW of wind power. Though there are suppliers in North Karnataka, we lack the facilities such as power corridor, for transmission of power to southern part of the State."
The minister said it had been planned to reserve the hydel power during summer months. Linganammaki reservoir is full up to 60 per cent and the water level should be 75 per cent of the total capacity for generating power, she added.