Telangana, the youngest State in the country, is set to increase its power generation capacity up from 14,200 mw to 15,000 mw by March 2018 and to about 17,000 mw by the year end.
The capacity augmentation would come through the commissioning of the 800 mw coal fired thermal power plant at Kothagudam thermal power plant by March 2018, whose boiler light up has been completed earlier this month and additional capacity coming up from 1080 mw Bhadradri Power plant and other sources, including renewables.
The State managed to add significant capacity over the last three and a half years up from 6573 mw, in June 2014 when the Telangana State was carved out to about 14,972 mw following the light up of the unit seven of Kothagudam thermal power station. Significantly, the unit would be completed in less than 39 months as against the stipulated time of 48 months as provided for by the Central Electricity Authority. This would also help the TS Genco to bring down the cost of loans during the construction phase.
According to D Prabhakar Rao, Chairman and Managing Director of TS Transco and TS Genco, “The State is on course to achieving a total capacity of 17,000 mw by December 2018 and the target is to increase this capacity to 28,000 mw over the next three to four years.”
Of the proposed upcoming capacity about 4,000 mw is expected to come up at Yadadri power plant, where works are now underway on a fast track mode. Two units of Bhadradri project are likely to be commissioned by December 2018.
SOLAR POWER
The State has thus far has an installed capacity of 3200 mw, and if the plans go through, additional solar capacity is likely to be added by the year end. The State plans to have 5,000 mw of solar capacity within couple of years.
In achieving 3200 mw, it has the highest capacity in a single state in the country pipping Gujarat, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh in the solar energy sector.
As on September 2017, the State was able to meet the demand of 197 million units. With the 24x7 free power supply to the agriculture sector getting underway from January 1, 2018, the Transco has made arrangements to ensure the overall demand of 11,000 mw is met with without hindrance.
Apart from strengthening the transmission network, a number of demand side management initiatives have been taken up. The State's efforts to bring down distribution loses too has played a big role. It has been brought down to 3.37 per cent.
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