BHUBANESWAR: With the delay in monsoon arrival and water level in all reservoirs low, regulated release by the Water Resources department has hit the hydropower generation in the State. The average generation of power from the six hydro generating stations of the State has come down to 182 MW against an installed capacity of 2,099.5 MW.
The five units of the Rengali hydropower station with a generating capacity of 250 MW (5 x 50MW) were kept idle on Friday in view of the dipping water level in the dam. The live storage capacity of the Rengali dam is 109.93 meters against the full reservoir level (FRL) of 123.5 meters. The water level in the Rengali dam on this day last year was 112.83 mt. The minimum draw-down level (MDDL), the level below which the water will not be drawn so as to maintain a minimum head required in power projects, is 109.72 meters. The live storage of the dam is only one per cent of the FRL.
Sources in Odisha Hydro Power Corporation (OHPC) said the water level in the Rengali dam is at a critical stage and water from the reservoir is released only for irrigation and drinking water purpose. The live storage level in Hirakud dam (FRL 630 ft) on Sunday was only 13 per cent of the FRL. The current water level is 599.93 ft which is 9.93 ft above the MDDL of 590 ft. The water level on this day last year was 601.25 ft.
The average generation from Hirakud hydropower station on Saturday was 4.37 MW against its generating capacity of 287.5 MW. Similarly, the hydel power generation from Upper Indravati with an installed capacity of 600 MW was only 17.39 MW because of the low water level in the reservoir. The Indravati dam has an FRL of 642 meters but the live storage is at 629.3 meters.
The Upper Kolab hydropower station with a generating capacity of 320 MW generated only 5.9 MW on Friday. The State is getting its peaking power from the Balimela hydropower station with an installed capacity of 510 MW. The instantaneous peak demand of the State crossed the 6,000 MW mark at noon on Friday with an actual power demand of 6,106 MW.
With an average daily demand of 5,250 MW, the State is comfortable with thermal power from its own sources, IPPs, CGPs and Central share, sources in Gridco said.