Power supply position in SPDCL (Southern Power Distribution Company Limited) jurisdiction has slightly improved with the contribution of NTPC Simhadri Thermal Power Project (STPP) at Visakhapatnam going up and the total availability of power in the State from AP-GENCO and Central grid crossing 10,000 MW. However, the situation is not comfortable enough to reduce the power cuts that began on Thursday.
Till a few days ago, the SPDCL was getting about 850 MW from STPP which was hit by coal shortage and with three of its four units of 500 MW each running from Friday, the Southern DISCOM started receiving additional power. The installed capacity of STPP is 2,000 MW.
There is not much of an improvement in supply from Narla Tatarao Thermal Power Station (NTTPS) comprising six units of 210 MW each and a lone 500 MW unit which is under overhauling. It will take at least another month for the 500 MW unit to resume generation, according to official sources.
Phailin impact
SPDCL gets power mainly from STPP and NTTPS both of which are not fully operational and the damage to transmission infrastructure caused by Cyclone Phailin in north coastal Andhra districts also has its impact on power supply here. Nearly 250 officers and staff from SPDCL were sent for helping in restoration of power transmission facilities damaged by the super Cyclone.
Power cuts are continuing as per the schedules announced earlier except local adjustments in some parts of Vijayawada city and other areas.
The situation is likely to be much better only after a week or 10 days and a higher output from the hydel stations at Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar will ward off the crisis completely. SPDCL Chief Engineer (Operations & Maintenance) K. Rajabapaiah is monitoring the situation and is in touch with the company’s headquarters in Tirupati.
