Scanty rain triggered high demand for power: Vijayanand

Vijayawada: Energy special chief secretary and APTransco CMD K Vijayanand said the energy demand growth rate was abnormal due to El Nino effect with no adequate rainfall in the southwest monsoon season in 2023-24 and there were no in-flows of floodwaters to major reservoirs.

He addressed the officials of Transco and APGenco in virtual meeting on Monday. He informed that the energy demand in FY2022-23 from April-2022 to October-2022 was around 42,140 million units (MUs) while the demand for the same period in 2023 is around 48,522 MUs.

Coming to the month of October-2022, the demand was 5,556.6 MU which had increased by 30.8 per cent in October-2023 with demand of 7270.55 MU, said the special chief secretary, energy. He said the heat wave conditions prevailed in the state from June to October, which he felt, was unprecedented. Even in this critical juncture, the power utilities have successfully provided quality power to all consumers with the consistent efforts of AP power utilities, he said.

Vijayanand said in spite of the unfavourable conditions, the utilities have supplied a maximum energy of 263.24 MU on June 16, 2023 with nil deficits and met a maximum demand of 13,028 MW on October 19 which is highest till date. This was achieved by planning ahead and procuring power from the Energy Exchanges and through Open Access transactions. The energy growth of 15 per cent is observed up to October 2023 when compared to last year the same period, he added.

Speaking on the occasion, APGenco MD and JMD APTransco K V N Chakradhar Babu said that the APGenco is making optimum power generation and has followed the best operation and maintenance management practices in order to maximise reliability and availability of thermal power generating units.

He said the thermal power generation has improved from 14,948 MU to 17,102 MU from April to October 2023 and the coal linkage materialisation has also improved to 96.52 per cent (14.74 million metric tonne (MMT)) as against 93 per cent (12.40 MMT) in 2022-23. Chakradhar babu explained that the grid demand is maintaining at around 220 MU to 245 MU during the period from April to October 2023 as against the demand of around 190 MU to 200 MU in year 2022 and added that sufficient coal stocks are maintained to meet the requirements.