The State Government has decided that there will be no power cut during the summer. Accordingly, an Action Plan has been approved by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to provide uninterrupted power supply in the upcoming summer months.
A strategic planning has been undertaken by the Department of Energy (DoE) in consultation with the Gridco to take up measures before hand so that power cut is avoided.
The Government faced huge embarrassment due to untimely power cuts during September last year and opposition parties criticised the authorities for the “manmade crisis”.
Energy Principal Secretary Rajesh Verma has chalked out the Action Plan in consultation with Gridco CMD Hemant Sharma. “There will be no power cut during summer,” said a confident senior official at the DoE.
The Gridco has planned out the strategy in such a way that the average demand of 3,500 MW of power and peak demand of 4,100 MW till June will be met from various sources.
Sources said that additional power of 150 MW would be available round the clock from the Vedanta from February.
The Ind Barath is expected to commence commercial operations during March and the State expects 50 MW from it.
According to the Action Plan, the Gridco would go in for power banking arrangements with Punjab and Delhi, which are power-surplus. The Gridco would avail round-the-clock power during these periods which it would return during monsoon, making it a cashless operation.
During January, the average demand is 2,850 MW and the peak demand 3,800 MW, while in February the average demand will be 2,900 MW and the peak demand 3,850 MW.
With the growing temperature, the average demand in March will be 3,150 MW and the peak 3,950 MW, which will go up further to an average demand of 3,450 MW and peak demand of 4,050 MW in April.
In May, the average demand will be 3,500 MW and the peak 4,100 MW, which will remain at same position during June.
Keeping in view the demand of all these months, the Action Plan for power generation, purchase and banking has been charted out so that there would be no hassle during the summer, said an official.
The Gridco, which is availing 200 MW through the banking arrangement during peak hours and another 200 MW during evening hours, would take up similar arrangements, said DoE sources.
However, during surplus period, the Gridco would return the round-the-clock power, not in peak hours, said the sources.