THIRUVANANTHAPURAM/PALAKKAD: Electricity minister K Krishnankutty on Sunday said the state will have to impose load shedding if the crisis faced by the country due to shortage of coal-based power generation continues. He has convened a meeting on Monday to discuss the situation.
“The shortage of coal has affected power generation in the country and the power crisis is expected to continue for nearly six months. The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) is monitoring the situation and people should cooperate with reduced use of power, especially during the peak hours,” Krishnankutty told reporters.
The state has been experiencing a shortage of 15% power from the central pool for the past few days following the closure of four thermal stations due to coal shortage. “There is a shortage of 1,000MW power from the central pool. Yesterday (Saturday), we received only 30% of our daily quota from Kudankulam... If the situation continues like this for a long period, we will have to impose power cuts,” the minister said.
Kerala is largely dependent on hydroelectric projects but there is a shortage in power allocation from the central pool. There is also a possibility of the state facing a reduction in power quota from other sources on the basis of long-term contracts.
Krishnankutty said he was in favour of hydel power projects and that Kerala has a huge potential. He said 3,000 TMC of water is available, of which 1,700 TMC can be used for electricity generation. “But we are not using the same. We need to provide cheap electricity for industries in order to attract investment. Currently, from Idukki, we are generating electricity at a cost of 0.51 paise per unit. However, yesterday during the peak hour we had to purchase for Rs 18 per unit,” he said.
Excess rainfall hitting the coal movement and coal-based power plants generating less due to record high rates have resulted in an energy crisis looming large over many states. About 70% of India's power generation is based on coal. Of the total 135 thermal power stations in the country, 110 are facing a coal shortage now.
The KSEB authorities also warned of restrictions on power supply during the peak hours if the consumption went up and asked consumers to reduce power consumption to the minimum. The consumers will also have to bear the burden of KSEB buying power from outside at exorbitant rates.
(With inputs from agencies)
