THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Taking significant steps to combat the ongoing power crisis in the state, the KSEB has unveiled plans to float two essential tenders. In a high-level meeting led by Power Minister K Krishnan Kutty and attended by top KSEB management, a strategy was devised involving a ‘swap arrangement’ to secure an additional 500 MW of power. Additionally, a short-term power purchase agreement (PPA) for 200 MW will be pursued. The minister has directed KSEB to expeditiously release a tender for the short-term PPA.
The power minister is set to brief the chief minister about these developments on Friday, emphasising their criticality in light of the situation. He has specifically urged KSEB CMD Rajan Khobragade to swiftly initiate the tender process for the short-term contract.
A senior power official told TNIE that as per the ‘swap arrangement,’ no payment will be made for the 500 MW power. Instead, the state will return 500 MW of power generated during next June to the exchange. “There’s a feel-good factor about the swap arrangement, as there’s no money involved. We will get the power to address the immediate shortage. We need to return it only after the southwest monsoon in June,” said the official.
In addition to these measures, the power minister’s meeting with the chief minister on Friday will also encompass discussions on the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) smart meter project. Moreover, plans to expedite pending payments to KSEB from government departments and public sector units (PSUs) are on the agenda.
It is understood that both the board and the government are hesitant to implement load shedding, particularly during the festive season.
With a request from the power department for innovative solutions to tackle the crisis, the board has decided to create awareness videos to educate consumers about the importance of reducing power consumption.