Mumbai facing power shortage

The state energy minister Dileep Walse-Patil asked Tata Power Company (TPC) and Reliance Energy Limited (REL) to sort out their differences on the issue of signing transmission agreement in two days so that additional power can be supplied to Mumbai and the city is spared of power cuts.

The sources in the energy ministry said, "REL officials were told by the Walse-Patil if they don't sign the agreement in next two days then he will even summon their chairman Anil Ambani and ask him to sort out the issue".

The Mumbai's demand for power is around 2,600 Mw and both TPC and REL together are able to supply only 2300 Mw at present.

Both TPC and REL claimed that, additional power is available and it can be brought into the city as well provided transmission agreement is signed and both the parties are blaming each other for non signing of the agreement.

This has resulted in the incidences of unscheduled load shedding in areas like Borivali, Goregaon, Chembur among others.

Reacting to Tata Power's comments disowning responsibility of not providing additional transmission outlets, an REL spokesperson said, "We have been requesting TPC since last two months for a draft Connection Agreement (CA) which has not been provided to us till date. Being a transmission system user, we have been requesting TPC proactively and are ready to sign the agreement to obtain the additional outlets. On previous consent by TPC, we have already laid feeders up to TPC stations in Malad, at a cost of 24 crore, and only connectivity by TPC is pending. Had TPC energised these feeders load shedding in Malad and Goregaon areas would not have been necessary."

Reacting to REL's claims TPC has said, "Tata Power has no issues with installing new receiving outlets once REL signs a formal transmission agreement. If REL agrees to pay transmission charges on a regular basis, Tata Power will have no issue spending on new outlets."

After a meeting with the REL and TPC officials Walse-Patil said, "There were some differences over technical issues but both the companies have agreed to sort out the issue and matter will be resolved within two days".

He further said, "We even told these companies that if they can source expensive power then they should buy that power so that, there is no scratch on Mumbai?s status as an international city".

Meanwhile, speaking on the power situation in the state he said, the state is facing power shortage of around 3,000-3,500 Mw during morning and evening peak hours and by the end of this year this shortage will come down to around 1,400 Mw.

Elaborating on his point Walse-Patil said, "By the end of this month the Maharashtra State Electricity Generation Company Limited's (Mahagenco) 250 Mw plant at Parali is expected to go up steam and by the end of this year Mahagenco's another plant at Paras is also expected to get commissioned."

Besides this we expect 720 Mw power from Ratnagiri Gas and Power Pvt. Ltd.?s Dabhol plant from November 1st and recently we have started getting 190 Mw power from Nuclear Power Corporation of India's (NCPI) Trombay plant, he added.

In the meanwhile I will be having meeting with union power minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and ask him to make Maharashtra additional power available from central sector and also ask him to compel Northern states which are not maintaining the grid discipline and putting the entire system under strain, Walse-Patil said.