Citing grim power situation, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, has requested the Centre to help the State tide over the crisis by diverting some natural gas to generate power.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas was asked to divert 2.5 mmscmd of natural gas to the State independent power producers (IPPs).
He requested that the gas allocated from KG D-6 to some of the public sector units in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan be temporarily diverted to the State till June 2013 and arrange necessary power for them from the northern region.
During his tour to Delhi he called on Power Minister M. Veerappa Moily, seeking the Centre’s support is additional power allocation, increase in gas allocation and additional coal supplies.
He also requested the Power Minister to direct NTPC to maximise power generation at all its thermal power stations, particularly at Simhadri.
The Chief Minister sought his intervention and urged him to call upon the Coal Ministry to help secure additional coal required for NTPC generating stations.
Reddy said power generation has been impacted due to lower natural gas supply to IPPs, fall in hydel power generation and low coal supplies impacting thermal power stations. This has meant a demand supply gap going up to 50-60 million units per day even after buying about 40 MUs at high cost.
The generation is about 215 MUs and the demand has gone up to 265 MUs leading to huge power cuts on industrial sector and load shedding for other consumers.
Moily was requested to see if additional gas could be allocated to the generating stations in the State.
Drop in gas supply from KG D-6 has resulted in idle capacity of about 1900 MW of gas plants.