Thermal, nuclear power to the rescue

Anil Sasi

New Delhi, Sept. 8 Despite the deficient rains throwing hydel generation out of gear, a power crisis has been averted with higher thermal and nuclear generation.

Thermal generation got a boost mainly with idle gas-based stations coming on stream with the availability of the KG Basin gas since April, while nuclear generation shot up due to increased output from a key uranium mine.

According to the Power Ministry data, while hydroelectric generation plummeted 11 per cent during April-August, thermal and nuclear generation was up 10.5 per cent. The data show that the cumulative generation during 2009-10 (till August) was up 6.3 per cent at 319 billion units despite the dip in hydro generation.

Due to the deficient monsoon this season, the largest hydropower firm, NHPC Ltd, saw a major loss of generation during the last five months. “We have lost nearly 200 million units (during the period) out of our 2009-10 production target of 17,200 million units,” an NHPC official said.
KG gas

Thermal generation, improved, mainly on account of the 18 mscmd of gas allocated by the Centre to gas-based power plants from the KG Basin to utilise the capacity that was left stranded due to shortage of fuel, officials said.

According to CEA estimates, the daily offtake of KG gas has crossed 17.95 mscmd, though a major consumer — NTPC Ltd — is yet to take delivery. Besides, there has been high import of coal by utilities during the period, resulting in higher coal-fired power generation.

In the case of the fuel-starved nuclear power stations, efficiency levels have gone up close to 70 per cent following the doubling of uranium supplies from the Turamdih mill in Jharkhand. Most of these plants were operating below 50 per cent for more than a year due to shortage of uranium fuel.

Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd has also re-started the Rajasthan Atomic Power Station Unit II with imported fuel and the unit is running at nearly 80 per cent capacity.