Here is why Bengaluru will have to face powercuts sooner or later

The state is facing severe power-crunch due to lack of monsoons, as 30% of electricity is produced from hydro-electric power. What the press note doesn't say is, brace yourself for power cuts.

A press note from the Power Ministry, Government of Karnataka, presents the sorry state of affairs in the state, that have forced the State government to announce power cuts. Here follows the press note:

Power Position as on 15.08.2015

  1. The state is having an installed capacity of 10189 MW from the conventional sources, but the present availability is only 6600 to 7300 MW from all the sources due to break down in State & Central generating units and reduced hydro availability.
  2. Poor monsoon has taken a toll on hydro availability. As on 15th August, the total storage in the 3 major hydel reservoirs of Linganamakki, Mani and Supa is around 4020 MUs (46.26%) as against 6,573 MUs (75.65%) in 2014 and 7892 MUs (90.82%) in 2013 on the same day. The State’s hydel storage has decreased by 2,553 MUs compared to 2014 and 3,872 MUs compared to 2013.
  3. During August 2015, state has witnessed huge loss of generation to an extent of 3020MW from State and Central Generating Stations due to unforeseen and planned outages in UPCL, RTPS,BTPS. CGS units that has adversely affected the power supply position since 1 week.
  4. Currently the UPCL plant with a capacity of 1200 MW is under shutdown due to problem in circulating water system and difficulty encountered in setting right the same due to high turbidity and reduced flow in sea-water intake system. Continuous efforts are being made to restore the generation.
  5. Against ESCOMs average requirement of 184 MUs , actual requirement met is 168 MUs.
  6. Against the peak demand of 8500 MW, the actual peak demand met is 8208 MW on 06.08.15 and consequent to huge loss of thermal generation from 10th Aug-15 onwards, state demand met is in the range of 7000 to 7300 MW resulting in 1000 to 1500 MW unscheduled load curtailment.
  7. Average infirm power of wind energy injected to the grid for the month of August-2015 (up to 14th) is around 21.0 MU per day and during peak hours the wind generation is between 300 to 1600 MW.

 Actions initiated by the State to tackle power crisis for the year 2015-16.

  • PPA signed by BESCOM with M/s. Global Energy Pvt. Ltd, for supply of 90-133 MW for the period July to Sept-2015 and 100-150 MW for the period Oct to May-2016 through 220 KV Chikkodi-Kolhapur Interstate line at the rate of Rs 4.85 per unit.
  • Tender has been finalized for procurement of 750 MW for the period from 15th September 2015 to 31st May 2016 on short term basis at the rate of  Rs 5.08 per unit(L1 price). State has taken initiative to pre-pone this procurement from 20th August 2015 instead of 15th September 2015 to mitigate the current power crisis.
  • State would be procuring 450 MW RTC power from Damodar Valley Corporation, on long term basis from 01st January 2016 onwards.
  • Efforts are being made by the State to procure additional 150 to 200 MW to mitigate the shortage faced by the State.
  • Continuous efforts are under way to restore UPCL & RTPS generating units which are under outage.
  • Efforts are being made  to add about 200MWs of Solar power by December 2015.

Financial implications on ESCOMs due to short term procurement

The deficit in hydel availability is met by short term procurement wherein the per unit cost incurred for procurement is around 5.08 per unit in place of Rs 0.48 to 0.52 average per unit cost incurred for hydel generation. Due to this, ESCOMs will be incurring additional power purchase expenditure of Rs 247 crores per month which works out to 2223 crores up to May 2016. The overall estimated additional cost to be incurred towards short term procurement is 342 crores per month and the estimated expenditure works out to 3078 Crores up to May 2016.

Procurement

Cost in Rs per unit

Total MUs per month

Cost in Rs crores per month

Remarks

750 MW

4.58 (5.08-0.5)*

540

247

750 MW through short term to offset the deficit monsoon.

100-150 MW

4.85

82

40

To meet the peak deficit

150 MW

5.08

108

55

To meet the peak deficit

Total

735

342

 

 *cost of short term procurement rate minus average hyro generation cost considered

 The statement Showing the State Requirement, availability and Usage in MU

Date

ESCOMs Requirement

Usage

 

01.08.2015

185.0

167.7

02.08.2015

188.0

160.9

03.08.2015

188.0

174.9

04.08.2015

187.0

176.9

05.08.2015

185.0

173.5

06.08.2015

185.0

167.4

07.08.2015

184.0

174.8

08.08.2015

185.0

174.3

09.08.2015

185.0

166.6

10.08.2015

185.0

171.0

11.08.2015

181.0

166.2

12.08.2015

183.0

161.7

13.08.2015

184.0

161.9

14.08.2015

177.0

159.9

Average

185

170

Hydel Availabiity from major reservoirs

Major Hydro Generating station.

   SGS

   NPH

   VPH

Total

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

Energy availability as on 15th Aug in MU

2022

3947

1415

1975

583

652

4020

6573

% storage in major hydro reservoir

44.37

86.61

44.79

62.50

59.9

67.0

46.26

75.65

Available Average Energy Per Day

6.32

12.33

4.42

6.17

1.82

2.03

12.56

20.54

Loss of generation

  • The table below shows the details of Loss of Generation due to forced outage of units and planned outage of units in State and Central Sector, resulting in power crisis.

Date

Forced outage and Under generation

Planned outages due to annual maintenance work

Total Loss of Generation

Load Curtailment Details

10.08.

2015

1160 MW- Loss of State Generation (Unit 1 at UPCL-560MW, Unit 3 at RTPS- 200MW, Under Generation at RTPS-150MW)                                                  250MW-Loss of CGS Generation

1050 MW-State Generators (Unit 4 @ RTPS-200MW, Unit 1 @ BTPS-450MW)   

400 MW-CGS Generator

2210 MW

300 MW to 1000 MW

11.08.

2015

1770 MW- Loss of State Generation (Unit 1 & 2 at UPCL-1120MW, Unit 3 at RTPS- 200MW, Under Generation at RTPS-150MW)                                                   300MW-Loss of CGS Generation

1050 MW-State Generators (Unit 4 @ RTPS-200MW, Unit 1 @ BTPS-450MW)   

400 MW-CGS Generator

2820  MW

500 MW to 1000 MW

12.08.

2015

2120 MW- Loss of State Generation (Unit 1 & 2 at UPCL-1120MW, Unit 3 at RTPS- 200MW, Under Generation at RTPS-300MW)                                                   500MW-Loss of CGS Generation

1050 MW-State Generators (Unit 4 @ RTPS-200MW, Unit 1 @ BTPS-450MW)   

400 MW-CGS Generator

3170  MW

500 MW to 1500 MW

13.08.

2015

1920 MW- Loss of State Generation (Unit 1 & 2 at UPCL-1120MW, Unit 2 & 3 at RTPS- 400MW, Under Generation at RTPS-150MW)                                                   250MW-Loss of CGS Generation

1050 MW-State Generators (Unit 4 @ RTPS-200MW, Unit 1 @ BTPS-450MW)   

400 MW-CGS Generator

2970  MW

500 MW to 1600 MW

14.08.

2015

1770 MW- Loss of State Generation (Unit 1 & 2 at UPCL-1120MW, Unit 2 & 3 at RTPS- 400MW, Under Generation at RTPS-100MW)                                                   150MW-Loss of CGS Generation

1050 MW-State Generators (Unit 4 @ RTPS-200MW, Unit 1 @ BTPS-450MW)   

400 MW-CGS Generator

2820  MW

500 MW to 1500 MW

15.08.

2015

1970 MW- Loss of State Generation (Unit 1 & 2 at UPCL-1120MW, Unit 2, 3 & 7 at RTPS- 600MW, Under Generation at RTPS-100MW)                                                   150MW-Loss of CGS Generation

1050 MW-State Generators (Unit 4 @ RTPS-200MW, Unit 1 @ BTPS-450MW)   

400 MW-CGS Generator

3020 MW

500 MW to 1500 MW

Comments:

  1. Balasubramanian A. says:

    This looks a cruel joke played year after year on the hapless citizens. I am an octogenarian living in this wonderful Metropolis for the past Fifty years. We are facing powercuts every year for the past 40 years who ever rules the Government ! And every year we get the same reasons with statistics, from the KEB / ESCOMS for the shortage. If we know the reasons, I wonder what prevents the Government to take preventive steps to augment the shortage? The cost of Power per unit charged to the consumer in Karnataka is in high bracket in the Country, and revised every year. But money is drained in free supply of power to agriculture and purchase of power from private generators on high rates. Instead why can’t the Government plan for new power sources and maintenance of all old units ?
    The entire system needs strict performance audit by international agency. If the Government could not rectify the lacuna, is it not better to hand over the entire system
    to private agency like that of Mumbai or Kolkata ?

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