Andhra can ensure uninterrupted power supply despite adverse weather: Senior official

Amaravati, Jul 9 (PTI) The Andhra Pradesh government is taking all necessary measures to ensure uninterrupted power supply despite the delayed southwest monsoon and deficient rainfall, a senior official said on Thursday. Power utilities have been directed to remain fully prepared to meet rising electricity demand, he added. Special Chief Secretary (Energy) K Vijayanand said hydel power generation in the state has dropped sharply to around six million units a day from about 30 MU during the corresponding period last year, due to poor inflows into reservoirs caused by weak monsoon progress. "Andhra Pradesh's power utilities are fully prepared to meet the emerging challenges, and uninterrupted, reliable and quality power supply to consumers remains the government's top priority," Vijayanand said in a press release. He reviewed the prevailing power situation through a video conference with senior officials of the Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Corporation Limited and power distribution companies, covering generation availability, hydel generation, thermal station preparedness, coal stocks and measures required to maintain uninterrupted power supply across the state. According to Vijayanand, reservoirs in the Sileru Hydel Complex currently hold around 34 TMC of water, sufficient to support hydel generation for nearly 100 days if utilised judiciously. He directed APGENCO to prepare an efficient reservoir management plan to maximise generation from the available water resources. Reviewing the Krishna basin, the special chief secretary expressed concern over the lack of significant inflows into reservoirs and said hydel generation from the basin may not be possible this season if the impact of El Nino continues. The Central Electricity Authority has also issued guidelines to states to minimise the impact of El Nino on the power sector, which Andhra Pradesh's power utilities have been directed to implement. With hydel generation expected to remain constrained, Vijayanand instructed APGENCO to operate all thermal generating units, except those undergoing scheduled annual overhauls, at maximum capacity while improving plant availability, reducing forced outages and completing maintenance work within stipulated timelines. He directed officials to maintain coal reserves sufficient for at least 10 days of operation at every thermal power station, closely monitor fuel supplies, coordinate with the Railways for coal movement, and optimise rail-cum-sea transportation to prevent any disruption in fuel availability. Vijayanand said coordinated efforts by the energy department, APGENCO, the Transmission Corporation of Andhra Pradesh Limited, and power distribution companies, coupled with efficient resource management and optimum utilisation of available generation capacity, would enable the state to continue providing uninterrupted power supply even during challenging weather conditions. PTI MS SSK