Efforts on to step up power generation to meet demand

Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh Government is making all out efforts to step up power generation to meet the heightened demand for power during the rabi season and ensuing summer months.

While drawing up a plan to invest about Rs 2,678 crore in addition to Rs 1,174 crore which was budgeted, the State has asked some of the independent power producers (IPPs) to take to generation through naphtha and high speed diesel (HSD).

Consequently, the natural gas from Lanco Kondapalli is being diverted to GMR Vemagiri plant, with Lanco generating power through naphtha as it has naphtha storage facility, and GVK phase II is being directed to run on HSD. While generation from naphtha would cost about Rs 8.50 a unit, for GVK it would be Rs 7.50 from HSD.

Addressing a press conference hereon Wednesday, the State Energy Minister, Mr Shabbir Ali Mohammed, along with senior officials of the energy sector, said that the State has also made arrangement of power purchase from other Central generating stations including Jindal unit in Karnataka and about 350 MW from Power Trading Corporation.

However, the Minister said that the State Government would ensure that the farm sector would be provided seven hour power supply as assured by the Chief Minister during the rabi season and see that crops were harvested without difficulty.

CAPACITY ADDITION

During the XI Plan, the State has drawn up ambitious plans to create additional power generation of about 8,945 MW with an investment outlay of Rs 36,386 crore. With this addition, this would be highest in one plan-period by any State in the country.

Asked about the gas supply arrangement for other gas-based power Stations, the Minister said that the gas linkage is being worked out between the companies and respective independent power producers with the gas generated by Reliance in the KG Basin.

Asked about the State move to hike power tariff in the wake of coal prices going up recently, the Minister said that there was no move to hike tariffs.

And efforts have been initiated to ensure that there are no power cuts to both industrial and domestic power consumers.