Private power generation is more efficient

While such abysmally low PLFs were recorded by states like Bihar and Assam, the thermal units operated by the Gujarat and Orissa utilities logged a PLF of 94.7 per cent and 90.6 per cent, respectively, during October.

On the other hand, private and central sector projects have set benchmarks in generation efficiency, with BSES' thermal units operating at a PLF of 101.1 per cent during the April-October period this year.

This was possible because the plants actually generated more power than their installed capacity by cutting down on auxiliary consumption and implementing other efficiency improvement measures, a Central Electricity Authority (CEA) official said. BSES recorded a PLF of 96.8 per cent for its utilities during the last month.

The Ahmedabad Electric Company (AEC) recorded a PLF of 88.2 per cent in October and an overall PLF of 94.7 per cent between April and October this year.

In the Central sector, the National Thermal Power Corporation's Rihand plant recorded a PLF of 97.7 per cent in October and 92.2 per cent during April-October 2003. NTPC Farakka could manage only 66.8 per cent PLF in October, while it registered a PLF of 59.5 per cent for the April-October period this year.

While both the power ministry and state governments strived to augment the installed capacity to achieve the overall installed generation capacity target of 2,00,000 Mw by 2012, the existing facilities also needed to be upgraded to derive the maximum benefit, a CEA official said.

The Bihar SEB's Muzzafarpur plant had been performing badly for years and the state government, instead of undertaking efforts to modernise the plant, had been trying to sell the facility to NTPC, the official said.