AP Transco, which is purchasing about 19.78 million units from various sources, including Central power generating stations, is having to take an additional financial burden of about Rs 8.8 crore/day.
This is in addition to AP Genco having to make arrangements for coal from various coal mining companies including that of CIL facilities and augmenting imported coal.
In spite of arrangements for additional supplies of coal and also power, the demand supply mismatch in Andhra Pradesh is estimated to be about 36 MUs with the demand at 259 MU and supply from all resources at 223 MUs, necessitating power cuts.
About 920 MW of thermal generation capacity at NTPC Ramagundam (525 MW) and 395 MW at NTPC Simhadri has been impacted due to shortage of coal supplies. And 1,210 MW of generating capacity of AP Genco facilities at Vijayawada, Kothagudem and Kakatiya thermal power plants has been affected, according to a Transco statement.
Meanwhile, AP Genco is making alternative arrangements for coal supplies from Mahanadi Coalfields, Western Coalfields and also supplementing it from imported coal. NTPC is also making arrangements to procure coal from other mines as Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) miners are on agitation in support of Telangana.
The NTPC Ramagundam plant was impacted with the production falling to 1,500 MW from its 2,600 MW installed capacity. However, this has been stepped up with arrangement of coal supplies from other sources.
Meanwhile, AP Genco in a statement said that it managed to generate about 27 MUs from hydel projects on Wednesday. Its total generation was about 105 MUs. The thermal generation was at 3,300 MW.
Hydel projects at Srisailam, Nagarjunasagar, Sileru, Sriramsagar, Singur are all contributing to the power generation. Yet the gap between overall demand and supply is huge as the requirement for farm operations during kharif has gone up. Industry is aced with two-day power holiday.