Hydel power stations break records

Hyderabad: The Power Generation Corporation has broken its own record in generating power through hydel projects as it recorded a generation of 3,211 MUs of power till October 29 in this financial year.

In the past seven months, the TS Genco has generated 3,211 MU of power through 11 hydel power generation units. Most of the generation has taken place in Nagarjuna Sagar and Srisailam projects.

The officials are hoping to generate 1,000 MUs more power through the hydel stations in the next five months and achieve an all-time record of more than 4,000 MU through hydel stations.

The Genco has produced 3,128 MU power in 2014-15. But between 2015 and 2019 the generation had gone down drastically. In 2015-16 the generation was just 285 MUs, 1,300 MUs in 2016-17, 1,517 MUs 2017-18 and 1,751 MUs in 2018-19.

Director of hydel power generation units Ch Venkata Rajam told The Hans India that with continuous rains in the State and with flood in the upper stream areas of Krishna River, the record hydel power generation was possible.

He said that the hydel power generation has saved lot of coal to the Genco. He said that with the continuous run of the hydel stations for days together, the Genco was benefitted by Rs 200 crore to Rs 300 crore. This would rise as the dams have good storage levels.

The Hydel power stations have an installed capacity of 2,400 MWs and with this about more than 52 MUs power could be produced. Due to heavy rains since August the officials have run the hydel stations to the full capacity. The hydel stations have been producing more than 50 MU per day.

Out of the total generation from April 1 to October 29, 1,365 MUs have been generated in Srisailam, and 1,161 MUs at Nagarjuna Sagar and rest in the other hydel stations.

As Krishna River has received flood even in October month, the hydel power generation is continued uninterruptedly till October 30.

They have been meeting 30 per cent of the power requirement of the State. Officials are hoping to continue higher generation in November also. The officials at Genco have reduced the power generation in the thermal power stations and are using the opportunity to overhaul them and to reduce the use of coal.

The State recorded a power consumption of about 145 MUs on an average in two weeks. The consumption in the domestic sector has gone down due to cold climate.