Delhi discoms sell 615.5 mn units outside customers in Apr-Jun

Power distribution companies in Delhi sold 615.5 million units of electricity to customers outside the state during April-June despite the AAP-led government's allegation that the capital was staring at power crisis in peak summer season due to coal shortage at plants.

According to official data, discoms in Delhi sold 296.228 million units (MU) of electricity against 233.578 MU in May, registering an increase of 26.8 per cent.

Among distribution companies, BSES Yamuna Power Ltd (BYPL) sold 144.14 units, BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd (BRPL) sold 4.29 MU and Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd (TPDDL) sold 106.381 MU in June.

In May, BYPL sold the maximum 130.047 MU, BRPL sold 16.594 MU and TPDDL sold 64.071 MU to outside customers.

 

When asked to comment, a BSES spokesperson said that due to the nature of the power business in India, power demand is arranged keeping in mind the peak power demand.

"As a result, during off-peak periods like early mornings, there is a need to sell surplus power on the exchange on account of low demand compared to the minimum availability from the stations. This is also essential to maintain the grid discipline and contain underdrawl within limit specified by the regulator. It also helps in keeping consumer tariff low, the spokesperson said.

To meet the power demand of its over 40 lakh consumers and to take care of any unforeseen contingency, we have made adequate power arrangements for summer months, including long long-term PPAs and banking arrangements with various states, it said.

Delhi Power Secretary Varsa Joshi said, "the Distribution Licensees are left with substantial surplus power during off peak hours....This surplus power is being disposed of by way of bilateral sale, banking mechanism....or direct sale through power exchange."

TPPDL Chief Executive Officer Sanjay Banga said during the past three months we had shortages from Aravali Jhajjar on account of coal shortages. The shortage was to the tune of 300 to 400 MW from Aravali Jhajjar which was met through an almost equivalent quantum of banking imports in May, June and July.

Tata power DDL has been entering into banking contracts from past seven to eight years whereby we export during the winter period of October to April to states like Himachal Pradesh, J&K, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and also to North Eastern states. We receive the power back from these states during our peak summer months of May to September when our demand is high. This banking import helps us in meeting our summer demand as well as take care of any unforeseen contingencies," he said.

This year also similar banking arrangements to the tune of 300 mw helped us in meeting the contingencies caused due to coal shortages at Aravali Jhajjar, he added.

In June, the AAP government wrote to Power Minister R K Singh that Delhi was staring at a power blackout due to the fast depleting coal stockpiles at power plants in the city and urged him to take up the issue with the Railways which transports coal to the national capital.

In the month of May, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to direct the Railways to provide rakes for transporting coal to power plants in Delhi-NCR, which were facing "alarming level" of coal shortage.