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Nagpur: With a shortfall of 1500 MW power generation staring at MSEDCL’s face coupled with increase in demand in scorching summer, load-shedding was resorted to in city as well as in state for hours.
As compared to power demand last year, the demand has increased by 2000 MW this year. On the other hand, the current demand of MSEDCL is in the range of around 18,000 MW to 18,000 MW. Thus there was a shortfall of nearly 1500 MW forcing MSEDCL to stagger power supply. To meet the shortfall, the MSEDCL has gone on power purchasing spree from Mahagenco, other private power generators and other sources.
Mahagenco has stepped up buying from Adani and also activating its own internal sets to ramp up power by nearly 700 MW. But the widening gap between demand and supply forced MSEDCL resort to load-shedding. Adding to the woes, the at Koradi set No. 10 (660 MW), Set No. 2 of Khaparkheda (210 MW), Parali’s set No.8 (250 MW), Adani set No. 1 (660 MW), Rattan India’s set No. 4 and 5 (270 MW each) are shut down owing to technical reasons. This has resulted in shortfall of nearly 3000 MW of power generation. Moreover, for annual maintenance, one set at Chandrapur (500 MW), at Koradi (210 MW), and at Tarapur of NTPC (400 MW) are shut down which means the gap between demand and supply has widened broadly.
Maximum brunt was faced by agricultural pumps. Owing to shortage in power generation and huge demand and supply gap, MSEDCL has rescheduled the power supply to agricultural feeders. The power supply to farmers is now made available from 1 am to 7 pm in two stages of eight hours at stretch.
