Hyderabad, February 27: The Chairman-Managing-Director of the Central Power Distribution Company (APCPDCL) M.T. Krishna Babu indicated that the city might have to brace for power cuts during this summer, if not owing to the shortage likely to prevail due to non-availability of gas, then owing to the constraints of transmission network.
However, unlike the last summer when industries were imposed with three-day power holiday schedule and domestic sector with two-hour daily load relief, power cuts will be kept to a minimum this time round, he assured.
Addressing a media conference here on Saturday, Mr. Krishna Babu anticipated an unrestricted peak demand of up to 5,600 Megawatts during this summer, up from the 5,100 MW of 2010. For GHMC area, the figures could reach up to 2,300 MW as against last year’s 1,950 MW, he said.
The company is geared up to meet an average demand of 5,200 MW as of now, which can be extended up to 5,400 MW during peak demand stage if negotiations are successful with Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry towards swapping the allocation of natural gas with the Re-gasified Liquefied Natural Gas(RLNG) from Gujarat.
“Reliance has given indications that the production of natural gas could come down further. It will have direct bearing upon power production, with an expected shortage of 500 MW for CPDCL. We are trying to tide over the crisis by tying up with GAIL for RLNG which costs 60 per cent more,” informed Mr. Krishna Babu.
Though there is no load shedding protocol in place as of now, power cuts may be necessitated during peak demand stage in order to maintain grid frequency, he said.
Sharing the infrastructural gaps in transmission, he cited the 132-KV Madhapur, Hussainsagar, Bandlaguda, Sivarampally and Gunrock substations, and 220-KV Moula Ali and Chandrayangutta substations as trouble centres as they are already functioning to their full capacity.
“We may have to take rotational load reliefs from the areas catered to by these substations,” he said.
-Agencies