Power situation may improve by September 22

The power situation in the State is likely to improve by September 22, with the Union government allowing drawing of 200 MW during night from the Central grid and the Bellary Thermal Power Station (BPTS) and Udupi Power Corporation Limited (UPCL) gearing up to supply power to the State grid shortly. According to Energy Minister D.K. Shivakumar, following a request from the State to supply 1500 MW of power from the Central grid, the Centre has allowed it to draw 200 MW from Wednesday. The BTPS, which stopped generation because of a technical snag, is expected to resume power generation within a week. While the second unit of BTPS was expected to be functional by Saturday, the first unit will become functional by September 17. This facilitates the drawing of 1,000 MW. The UPCL which will start generation soon, is expected to supply another 600 MW, the Minister explained. Hinting at further improvement in the power situation, the Minister said the third unit of BTPS with a capacity of 700 MW would start generation from November. Damodar Valley (450 MW) and Yeramarus Thermal Power Station (800 MW) would add 450 and 800 MW respectively by December. The State government was contemplating to invoke Section 11 of Karnataka Electricity Act, which prohibits independent power generating companies to sell the power to any other customer other than the Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL). “I had a meeting with the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to discuss on the possibility of invoking the provision. A decision in this regard will be taken soon”, he said. Refuting the reports of his differences with Mr. Siddaramaiah, the Minister said the former had given him a free hand to handle the power sector and purchase power. “The Chief Minister even asked me to visit Tamil Nadu and purchase power. There is no dearth of funds for power purchase,” he clarified. On taking power from co-generation of sugar factories, he said that, over 60 per cent of sugar factories were selling power to the government. The department was still assessing the total quantum of power available with the independent power producers. “Once government issues orders for the purchase, KPCL will start procuring power from private parties,” he explained.