Fuel crisis in power sector to cause outages in Delhi
8 May 2013 1:19 AM GMT
The Delhi government had invested more than five thousand crore in two different power plants. The plants were supposed to have been made operational before the Commonwealth Games in October, 2010, but despite missing several deadlines, the project is yet to be completed.
It is expected that during the summers, the capital will once again have to bank heavily on power purchases from various generating units, with the Bawana plant failing to produce power due to unavailability of gas.
On the other hand, the Delhi government had invested fifty per cent of estimated cost of Rs 7892.92 crore, for sharing the 7500 mega watt of 1,500 MW in Jhajjar Power plant, but Delhi is receiving only 181 MW from the Jhajjar Plant in Haryana.
Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit had several times held high-level meetings with discoms and have been issuing strict instructions to power distribution companies (discoms) to ensure an outage-free summer for residents. The three discoms are readying for the battle ahead.
This year, the discoms expect an increase of 400 MW in peak power demand time in comparison to 2012 and claim that they have put in place measures to reduce chances of power cuts.
Delhi’s peak demand in 2012 touched 5,538 MW and this year it is expected to cross 6,000 MW.
The 1,500 MW units capacity Bawana power plant is just managing to generate 200 MW. Power sector officials have said that the shortage is due to the shortage in gas supply.
‘Currently, the plant is getting 1.564 million metric standard cubic metres of gas per day from the state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). Reliance India Ltd (RIL) had promised to supply 0.836 (mmscmd) from Krishna-Godvari basin to the Bawana gas project. But now it has refused to do so,’ said a source.
Delhi power minister Haroon Yusuf said that the Delhi government has written a letter to Union Power ministry for gas swapping from Pragati-1 to Pragati-11 (Bawana Plant). After getting the necessary permission from them, the gas shortage could be resolved..’
According to Delhi Transco Limited spokesperson Rishi Raj the peak load met during the last 24 hours was 4393 MW.
It is expected that during the summers, the capital will once again have to bank heavily on power purchases from various generating units, with the Bawana plant failing to produce power due to unavailability of gas.
On the other hand, the Delhi government had invested fifty per cent of estimated cost of Rs 7892.92 crore, for sharing the 7500 mega watt of 1,500 MW in Jhajjar Power plant, but Delhi is receiving only 181 MW from the Jhajjar Plant in Haryana.
Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit had several times held high-level meetings with discoms and have been issuing strict instructions to power distribution companies (discoms) to ensure an outage-free summer for residents. The three discoms are readying for the battle ahead.
This year, the discoms expect an increase of 400 MW in peak power demand time in comparison to 2012 and claim that they have put in place measures to reduce chances of power cuts.
Delhi’s peak demand in 2012 touched 5,538 MW and this year it is expected to cross 6,000 MW.
The 1,500 MW units capacity Bawana power plant is just managing to generate 200 MW. Power sector officials have said that the shortage is due to the shortage in gas supply.
‘Currently, the plant is getting 1.564 million metric standard cubic metres of gas per day from the state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). Reliance India Ltd (RIL) had promised to supply 0.836 (mmscmd) from Krishna-Godvari basin to the Bawana gas project. But now it has refused to do so,’ said a source.
Delhi power minister Haroon Yusuf said that the Delhi government has written a letter to Union Power ministry for gas swapping from Pragati-1 to Pragati-11 (Bawana Plant). After getting the necessary permission from them, the gas shortage could be resolved..’
According to Delhi Transco Limited spokesperson Rishi Raj the peak load met during the last 24 hours was 4393 MW.
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