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Power surplus a daydream?
Highlights
Telangana government’s ambitious plan to get the tag of ‘surplus power state’ by 2018, may not fructify. The State will lose 720 MW of thermal power in 2018 as the 50-year-old KTPS (Kothagudem Thermal Power Station) plant will be phased out two years prior to the deadline set by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF).
- KTPS to be phased out in two years and a new plant to come up in the same area
- Environment Ministry asks State govt to stop power generation by 2019
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Hyderabad: Telangana government’s ambitious plan to get the tag of ‘surplus power state’ by 2018, may not fructify. The State will lose 720 MW of thermal power in 2018 as the 50-year-old KTPS (Kothagudem Thermal Power Station) plant will be phased out two years prior to the deadline set by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF).The ministry asked the government to phase out the plant (having four units with 60 MW and another four with 120 MW capacity) at Paloncha, in Khammam district, before approving the proposal to set up a new supercritical thermal power plant with 800 MW capacity at the same area.
The Expert committee, constituted by the MoEF, in its report, said the old plant should stop power generation by the end of 2019 in view of the increasing pollution levels. Considering the requirement of land for the new project, increased Operation and Maintenance (O & M) cost and the more consumption of coal by the old plant, a TS Genco official told The Hans India that the unit would be shut down by early 2018, to facilitate the speedy construction of the proposed project. The Union ministry set the deadline to phase out the project by the end of 2019.
The Centre has been requested to allow the Genco to acquire 230 acres of additional land to establish ash pond for the new project. But the MoEF asked the Genco to utilise the existing ash pond at KTPS and set up a cement industry for the total utilisation of fly ash emitted from the project.
In these circumstances, generating power from the two plants simultaneously and the maintenance of pollution norms is ruled out."Before commissioning the new plant in 2018, the old one will be phased out in two years advance," the official said. Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao's government prepared plans to increase the installation capacity of thermal plants to 6,000 MW from the present 2,200 MW installed capacity and meet the power demand by 2018.
The estimation says power demand will increase to 170 MU (Million Units) from the present 145 MU per day. At present, the thermal plants could supply only 43 MU. Once the KTPS is phased out, the state will remain a power deficit state.
By:Patan Afzal Babu
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