Plan power capacity may fall 24% short

This amount included about 4,300 Mw of capacity that was not part of the original target. If unplanned capacity was excluded, the shortfall would go up further to 34.4 per cent, the Commission said in its mid-term appraisal (MTA) of the Tenth five-year plan.

Of the unplanned capacity addition, about 2,250 Mw is from the Central sector, 1,620 Mw from the state and 423 MW from the private "" all thermal plants.

The private sector capacity addition will be about 57 per cent short of target, "largely reflecting the fact that the distribution segment of the power sector remains financially unviable, and in the absence of a payment security mechanism for private sector projects, their financial closure remains difficult," the MTA has said. The shortfall in the Central sector is estimated to be about 23 per cent.

By type of fuel, the shortfall in the hydro and thermal sectors is estimated to be about 25 per cent, while the nuclear plants will achieve their capacity addition targets.

However, the plant load factor (PLF) of nuclear power plants has gone down to 73.7 per cent in 2003-04, as against 79.4 per cent in 2001-02, because of the non-availability of nuclear fuel.

In the hydro sector, as against the Tenth-plan target of 14,393 Mw, the likely addition is expected to be about 10,800 Mw. The thermal sector, is also likely to see a shortfall of about 6,000 Mw.

As against the target of 25,417 Mw, the actual addition to capacity is estimated to be about 19,190 Mw, 75.5 per cent of expected target.

The inadequate capacity creation is sought to be partially addressed by hiking plant load factor (PLF) of power stations, the MTA states. However, it cautions that high PLFs lower both the quality and reliability of power supply.