Power crisis looms as NTPC units shut down
Jangveer Singh
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 8
Power crisis looms large over North India following the closure of a number of gas-based thermal units due to shortage of gas. Ongoing strike by officers of the Oil and Natural Gas Company (ONGC) has led to the situation.

Fuel shortage resulted in the closure of several NTPC units at its seven gas-based thermal plants today, according to NTPC sources.

Punjab and Haryana are both likely to be affected. In Punjab, there is likely to be a shortfall of 12 to 13 per cent in supply of power from NTPC plants, which will result in a shortfall of 200 MW. In Haryana, power availability from the 430 MW NTPC gas-based power station at Faridabad is likely to be severely affected. While the generation at Faridabad was 297 MW on Tuesday, it went down to 233 MW on Wednesday.

Among the units closed include the 830 MW Dadri gas-based thermal plant. This unit produced 402 MW on Tuesday. Its generation was reduced to 178 MW yesterday. Similarly the Anta thermal plant producing 419 MW was also closed today. Yesterday, it produced only 178 MW of power.

Similarly four units at Dholpur with a capacity of 400 MW and two units at Faridabad with generating capacity of 138 MW were closed yesterday following gas shortage. The 663-MW Oriya thermal is running only at 19 MW only while it generated 387 MW of power on Tuesday.