MSEB takes stock of power crisis

The Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) is planning to enter into an arrangement with Tata Power Company (TPC) to ramp up its peak hour power supply in the state by 400 mw per day.

This is one of a series of steps being undertaken by the MSEB to tackle the worst ever power crisis in the state.

The board has also inked short-term three-month contracts with Adani Exports, Power Trading Corporation (PTC) and NTPC's subsidiary NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Ltd to raise power supply by around 200 mw and 900 mw during peak and non-peak hours, respectively.

The power shortage in Maharashtra is estimated to be around 3,000 mw with vast stretches of the state reeling under bouts of power cuts daily. Mumbai alone requires 2,250 mw of power during peak hours.

Explaining the likely arrangement between TPC and the MSEB, a senior TPC official said: "We will supply the MSEB with around 200 mw of power during non-peak hours (10 pm to 7 am). This will allow the state electricity board not to use power from the Koyna hydro project during the non-peak hours. The water that otherwise would have been utilised to run the Koyna project during these nine hours will thus be saved and utilised by the MSEB to supply around 400 mw of power from the Koyna project during peak hours."

TPC will also sell its excess power (unutilised power from its Mumbai grid) to the MSEB to meet the shortfall in other parts of the state.

Said MSEB chairman Jayant Kawle: "The short-term contracts with the three power traders is expected to yield an additional 200 mw of power daily during peak hours and up to 900 mw during non-peak hours. The contracts came into force on April 1, 2005 and are expected to realise a maximum power yield in the month of May, when the power situation in the state is at its worst."

Kawle added that the MSEB was also in talks with TPC for purchasing the surplus power available with the power utility from its Mumbai grid. "MSEB is resorting to four-hour load sheddings in Mulund and Bhandup in Mumbai as well as Thane and Navi Mumbai districts," he said.

This, along with nine-hour load shedding in rural areas, will help us tide over the power shortage," Kawle said.

He also pointed out that the order issued by the Maharastra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) on April 26 would also help augment Maharasthra's power supply.

The MERC order states: "An additional 'load management charge' (LMC) will be levied on all electricity consumers whose consumption exceeds 500 units per month in May and June, 2005 (billing months of June and July in the case of BEST).

This charge will be levied at the rate of Re 1 per unit for the electricity consumed in excess of 80 per cent of consumption recorded in the corresponding billing months of 2004."