BHUBANESWAR: There will be no power shortage in the State even if the 460 MW Talcher thermal power station (TTPS) of the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) stops functioning after December 31, claimed the Grid Corporation of Odisha (GRIDCO) on Wednesday.
The TTPS has not yet complied with the applicable environmental pollution control norms for which it may not run beyond December 31 unless the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) accords necessary approval or time extension. However, as per GRIDCO’s long term demand and supply projection, the State will have surplus power till 2029-30 fiscal, officials of the Corporation said.
Odisha has made adequate arrangements for procurement of power to the tune of 6,700 MW of installed capacity by signing PPAs with the generators. However, the present average demand of power in the State is 3,041 MW and availability is 4,394 MW.
The surplus power of around 600 to 700 MW is being sold through power exchange after meeting the State’s demand, GRIDCO officials said and added that considering this trend the State will continue with the average power surplus for another 10 years and no power scarcity will be faced by the consumers even if the TTPS generation is stopped at the end of December.
They also stated that TTPS is a 50 year old plant and its life, as per Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) order, was going to be over by March 2021. The State government has encouraged the NTPC to go for expansion of the TTPS, they said.