The report of the working group on power for the Tenth Plan says that capacity addition in the power sector in 2002-03 will be 14,711 mw from new schemes. Of this, 2,412 mw would be from hydro-electric and 12,299 mw from thermal utilities.
The report says that out of the total identified capacity of 46,939 mw for the five-year period (2002-07), 19,621 mw has already been sanctioned and on-going, comprising 10,141 mw hydro, 8,180 mw of thermal and 1,300 mw nuclear power. Further, 11,791 mw of capacity comprising 7,291 mw thermal and 4,500 mw hydro power has been accorded techno-economic clearance by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA). In addition, a capacity of 816 MW has been cleared by various states for execution.
Following submissions of the report of the sub-group on generation and transmission planning, the ministry of power has, in consultation with the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) and power utilities, reassessed the feasible capacity addition as 46,939 MW. This comprises 17,311 mw of hydro, 28,328 mw thermal and 1,300 mw nuclear.
The overall requirement of funds for capacity augmentation, upgradation of transmission and distribution systems (T&D) and other schemes in the power sector has been pegged at over Rs 5,66,000 crore for the Tenth Plan period (2002-07).
Of this, around Rs 3,51,000 crore is the estimated requirement for generation schemes over the next five years, while requirement of funds to the tune of Rs 2,14,000 has been pegged for overhauling the T&D systems, renovation schemes, rural electrification and other associated schemes, according to the report of the working group.
To ensure need-based capacity requirement during the Tenth Plan as per the 11th power survey forecast, and in light of a capacity addition of 20,891 mw during the Ninth Plan, need-based capacity addition of 55,158 mw would be required during the Tenth Plan period.
In light of significant slippages in power generation capacity addition targets during the previous plan periods, the ministry of power has prepared a comprehensive plan for capacity addition during the Tenth Plan period and is projecting an addition of around 36,500 mw in the worst case scenario over the next five years. On the optimistic side, the ministry has worked out two more case scenarios where capacity addition of around 43,500 mw and 51,000 mw have been envisaged.
Even though the ministry is focussing on structural reforms on the distribution front as the key area for overcoming energy shortages, the slippages in capacity addition programmes during the past few plan periods are being viewed seriously.
Only 53.77 per cent of the capacity addition target of 30,538 mw was achieved during the Eighth Plan (1992-97). During the Ninth Plan period (1997-2002) total capacity addition of 19,213 mw is expected to be realised against the target of 40,245 mw, an achievement of just 48 per cent.
