CEA projects peak power deficit at 12.61% in FY10
Press Trust Of India / New Delhi May 27, 2009

The country’s power deficit is set to rise further to 12.61 per cent of the total demand in the current fiscal, despite a record capacity addition of 12,770 Mw planned for 2009-10, a government report has said. The peak power deficit for 2009-10 is pegged at 12.61 per cent, against 11.9 per cent in the previous year, according to the report from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA). The energy shortage is projected at 9.6 per cent in this fiscal. The report states that against the projected electricity requirement of 8,40,544 million units (MU), 7,62,215 MU would be available during 2009-10.

The country’s peak power requirement is estimated at 118,794 MU against the availability of 103,816 MU.

According to the CEA report, there are no chances of a power surplus in the country in any month of this financial year.

The peak power deficit would range between 14.81 per cent (in April) and 6.32 per cent (in August).

The report said 10 of 28 states, could face peak power deficit of over 20 per cent while in seven states the peak electricity deficit would range between 10 and 20 per cent.

The peak power deficit in the remaining 11 states would be less than 10 per cent.

The CEA, however, estimates that the eastern region would be power surplus by 2.4 per cent. However, the eastern region would face peak power deficit of 6.3 per cent.

The northern, southern and north-eastern regions would be the worst affected as their peak power deficit could be 15.5, 13.3 and 14.8 per cent respectively.

The estimated peak power deficit in the western and eastern regions would be 8.2 and 6.3 per cent respectively.

During 2008-09, against the energy demand of 7,77,039 MU, 691,038 MU were available with an energy deficit of 11 per cent. The peak demand during the last fiscal was 1,09,809 MU compared with the availability of 96,785 MU and registered peak power deficit of 11.9 per cent.

The CEA has also chalked out a plan for generating around 7,89,511 MU during 2009-10 including 6,48,479 MU from thermal, 19,000 MU from nuclear and 1,15,468 MU from hydro power sources.

The country would depend on imports from Bhutan for 6564 MU during the fiscal. The planned power generation capacity addition of 12,770 Mw during 2009-10 includes 11,446 Mw (thermal), 664 Mw (hydro) and 660 Mw (nuclear).

During the Eleventh Five-year plan (2007-12), a capacity addition of around 78,577 Mw is planned. At present, the country has an installed power generation capacity of around 1,47,000 Mw.