Energy Minister D.K. Shivakumar has said that there will not be load-shedding in the State in the coming months and the government has taken steps to meet the demand for power despite the shortage in production from internal sources.
Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, he said that although the situation in the hydel power sector was bleak, with reservoirs having only 45 per cent of storage, the government was confident of facing the crisis by increasing the production from thermal power plants and renewable energy sources.
The government had also entered into a medium-term arrangement for supply of 1,000 MW of power from different sources. “The final agreement for power purchase will be made when there is a necessity.” Mr. Shivakumar said that as per the calculation of the government, there would be a shortage of only around 600 MW to 700 MW during the peak season and this would also be made good from various sources.
“During summer, the government will meet all the demands of the industry, commercial establishments and domestic consumers without giving room for complaints,” Mr. Shivakumar said. He said that the government had stopped or reduced power production from hydel resources to save water for production of power during the peak season.
Mr. Shivakumar said that the power scenario had improved after the synchronisation of the third unit of the Ballari Thermal Power Plant that added 700 MW to the State kitty.
Trial run of the new thermal power plant at Yermarus in Raichur had also begun and within a couple of months, the power production from Yermarus would be a reality.
Mr. Shivakumar said that the coal linkage for the Yermarus thermal power plant designed to produce 1,600 MW of power had been established and the permission for laying a new rail line to the plant had also been obtained. The work on laying the new line would start at the earliest. Till the new rail line was laid, coal would be supplied from the RTPS to meet the requirement of the Yermarus Thermal Power Station.
To a question, he said that the government had not proposed to the Union government for one more nuclear power plant owing to reasons such as want of suitable site.
