Chairman and Managing Director of AP Power Transmission Corporation Hiralal Samariya took up the issue with Union Power Secretary Uma Shanker in New Delhi today following which the latter recommended the state's case to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry, a press release from the Energy Co-ordination Cell here said.
Gas-based power plants in AP are currently receiving only 6.43 million metric standard cubic meters per day (MMSCMD) of gas against the total requirement of 13.65 MMSCMD.
As a result, the gas-based power plants are generating only about 1,160 MW of electricity as against the installed capacity of 2,760 MW.
This has put the state into a major power crisis leading to declaration of 12-day power holiday for major industries and eight-day holiday for small-scale industries besides extending hours of power cuts to the domestic sector.
Andhra Pradesh sought a roster system for allocation of gas from D6 wells of KG Basin to tide over the prevailing power crisis and let the power plants run to their optimum capacity.
AP Power Transco CMD also met NTPC Chairman and Managing Director Arup Roy Choudhury, GAIL CMD B C Tripathi and Petroleum Secretary G C Chaturvedi and discussed the power situation in AP.
He requested them to assist the AP power utilities in resolving the fuel crisis and transmission corridor problem, the Energy Co-ordination Cell release said.
Samariya also discussed with the Power Secretary the supply of additional power to the state from upcoming plants in Tamil Nadu and increase in quantity of power supply from NTPC's Jhajjar plant from 131 MW to 230 MW by May 2013, the release added.