NTPC says Delhi discoms scheduling only 70% of power available with them

State-run power giant NTPC on Tuesday said it has been making electricity available to the national capital but the distribution companies have been scheduling only 70 per cent of power made available to them.

"NTPC has been making available required power for Delhi. As the data shows (1st October to 11th October), Delhi DISCOMs have been scheduling only 70 per cent of power that has been made available by the NTPC," tweeted NTPC on Tuesday along with data for eleven days till October 11, 2021.

According to the data provided by NTPC for eleven days, the discoms in the city scheduled (or got supply of) 38.81 million units (MU) against the 54.83 MU declared capacity entitlement (or made available by the NTPC).

Earlier in the day, a fact sheet released by the Ministry of Power also showed that there was no energy deficit in Delhi during the two weeks period till October 10, 2021.

In a fact sheet on the power supply situation in Delhi, the power ministry stated that the maximum demand of Delhi was 4,536 MW (peak) and 96.2 MU (energy) on 10 October, 2021.

As per the information received from Delhi discoms, there was no outage on account of power shortage, as the required amount of power was supplied to them, it stated.

Earlier in the day, the power ministry said in a statement that it has asked NTPC and DVC (Damodar Valley Corporation) to supply as much power as available to Delhi discoms under their respective power purchase agreements.

The ministry has also issued guidelines on October 11, 2021, regarding utilisation of unallocated power of central generating stations by the states, a ministry statement said.

Keeping in view the declared capacity (DC) offered to the Delhi discoms in last 10 days, the Ministry of Power has issued instructions on October 10, 2021, to NTPC and DVC to secure power supply to Delhi, the ministry stated adding that this will ensure that distribution companies (discoms) of Delhi will get as much as power as requisitioned by them as per their demand, it added.

The ministry has directed that NTPC and DVC may offer the normative declared capacity (DC) to the Delhi discoms as per their allocations made to them under respective power purchase agreements (PPAs), from their coal-based power stations.

Besides the union power and coal secretaries made a detailed presentation to Principal Secretary, Prime Minister's Office about the ongoing coal shortage at power plants in the country.

The highly placed official told that the there were talks about the fully utilising imported coal-based power plants in the country and improving the management of dry fuels stocks at the plants along with consistent ramped up supply.

On Monday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said that the power situation is "very critical" in the entire country.

Kejriwal had said all efforts were being made to address the power crisis and his government did not want that any "emergency situation" is created.

"The situation is very critical in the entire country. Several chief ministers have written to the Centre about it. All are trying together to improve the situation," he had said.

Earlier on Monday, Delhi Power Minister Satyendar Jain had said the Delhi government has to depend on costly gas-based power as well as spot purchase at high market rate as the NTPC has halved power supply to the city from the usual 4,000 MW.

Jain had claimed most of the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) plants are running at 50-55 percent capacity as their coal stocks are reduced to meet one-two days need.

Delhi purchases most of its power from NTPC but supply has been halved, Jain had told reporters.

"NTPC which supplies us 4,000 MW power has reduced it to half currently. This has led us to generation of power through gas that costs Rs 17.25 per unit," he had said.

Delhi has three gas-based plants with a total capacity of 1,900 MW, he had said.

"The Centre has terminated the quota of cheap gas. We have to purchase it and the generation cost is Rs 17.50 which is not sustainable. Also, we have to resort to spot purchase of power due to the crisis at a high rate of Rs 20 per unit," Delhi power minister had said.

Jain had also said the Centre should accept that coal crisis and address it instead of being in denial mode.

Chief ministers of many states, including Yogi Adityanath of Uttar Pradesh, have written to the Centre on the issue. Punjab is also facing power cuts, he had said.

"If there is no power crisis, then why has Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath written a letter to the central government. There is a power crisis in the country; the central government should consider it as a problem, then only its solution can be found," he had said.

The demand for electricity in Delhi at present is low. At one time, the electricity demand was more than 7,300 MW, which has come down to 4,562 MW. Even after the demand is low, we have to buy electricity at the rate of Rs 17 to Rs 20, he had said.