Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited has ruled out the possibility of rolling over the banking facility for captive solar power produced by industries during the lockdown.
Most industries in the State generate captive wind or solar power to meet their energy requirements. Banking facility allows the captive power user to sell the excess power after own use to the grid and also draw the power which is needed. The own consumption and the surplus power provided to the grid is adjusted in the power bills. For solar power, the banking adjustment can be done within a month.
Muralishankar Sambasivam, president, Association of Indian Forging Industry, said its members had installed captive power like solar and wind.
“In April there was no consumption of power due to the lockdown. However, the solar plants generated the power which was fed into the grid. Tangedco is not allowing the banking facility, despite an advisory from Ministry of New and Renewable Energy to State distribution companies to allow banking of the generated units during the lockdown period so that the industries can use banked energy during this financial year and adjust once the production picks up,” he said.
Mr. Sambasivam said that 1 MW of solar plant would have generated 5,000 units every day during the 50-day lockdown period and the cost worked out to ₹16 lakh.
“Already the industries are going through a major crisis because of the lockdown and this will further aggravate the financial stress of the companies,” he said.
“Banking facility is allowed for wind power. Roll over is not feasible for solar power,” a senior Tangedco official said.
