Power Management for Multiple Outages from Today

BHUBANESWAR: The State Load Despatch Centre (SLDC) is set to go in for energy management for entire Odisha as several power generation sources have hit hurdles. The first phase of load management will take place on Tuesday.

It would be carried out in small phases during two windows - 6 am to 9.30 am and 3 pm to 6 pm. The SLDC sources said the load management would be effected looking at the energy demand and supply scenario on a daily basis. While it would be a temporary arrangement, if there is a drop in the demand on certain days, the load restriction may not be carried out at all.

The problem has primarily arisen as five out of six units of NTPC at Farakka have shut down with water from the Farakka barrage diverted to Bangladesh as per a bilateral water-sharing treaty of India with the neighbouring country. Similarly, generation has been hit at its Kahalgaon station too.

“The Farakka shut down has led to a shortfall of about 300 mega watt to the State while the Kahalgaon problem accounts for another 100-150 mega watt of shortage,” sources in the SLDC said.

The Talcher Thermal Power Station where a turbine snag led to outage of one unit has added to the woes. Similarly, the Barh Super Thermal Power Station in Bihar has also hit rough weather.

At present, the daily energy demand has shot up to 4100 mega watt while the combined shortfall due to outage at Farakka, Kahalgaon, Barh and TTPS stands at about 600 mega watt.

“We could meet the shortfall from hydel sources in the State but that would be like inviting danger since the full summer is still ahead and reservoir water level will further go down. We have to manage April, May and June when the summer could be scorching and peak hour demand may go further up.

That is why we are going in for the load management,” said a senior officer of Odisha Power Transmission Corporation Limited.

The SLDC officials said the load restriction will be for a maximum of 30 minutes, and not more.

“Although the shortfall has been experienced for the last two days, no load restriction was effected. We have planned the first load management on Tuesday and will decide it on a day-to-day basis,” the sources added.

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