Here is the bad news - India is likely to see a power shortfall of 6.7 per cent in the present fiscal and the southern region is expected to be the worst affected, the Central Electricity Authority — country’s apex power sector planner — said on Friday.
The power sector is already besieged with problems including coal shortage, lack of environmental clearances for new and upcoming power projects were cited as the recurring reasons for underperformance of the sector.
Overall energy shortfall is expected to be 70,232 million units resulting in a deficit of 6.7% this fiscal. The requirement would be 10,48,533 million units whereas the availability is pegged at 9,78,301 million units.
“The country is expected to experience energy shortage of 6.7% and peak shortage of 2.3% despite very high shortages likely to be experienced by Southern region,” the CEA said in its report published on Friday.
The report further said, “This is due to transmission constraints between Northern-north Eastern-eastern-Western-Southern regional grid that restricts flow of power to the Southern region.”
In the current fiscal the capacity addition would be 18,432 MW with majority contribution coming from thermal sources, the report said.
Out of the estimated additional capacity thermal plants would account for 15,234 MW, hydro sources 1,198 MW and the remaining 2,000 MW could be added from nuclear energy.
According to the report, “Considering transmission constraints, all India peak shortage works out to 6.2%.” The projections have been made after taking into consideration power availability from operating stations, fuel and water availability at hydro electric plants.
The CEA has assessed that gross energy generation will be in the vicinity of 975 billion units from operational power plants and also those that are expected to be commissioned during the year.
The Southern region is projected to see the maximum electricity shortages of 19.1% this financial year. It would be followed by Northern-Eastern 11.3%, Northern 5.8% and Western 1.2%. Meanwhile, Eastern region is likely to see an energy surplus of 10.2%.
CEA noted that peaking shortages in the Northern, Southern and North-Eastern regions would be 1.3%, 26.1% and 10% respectively.
Peaking shortage refers to the shortfall in electricity supply when the demand is maximum.
To meet the increased power requirement India will need to add 2,41,000 MW by 2020.
