M. Maheshwar Rao, Managing Director, Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd., has said that the corporation is preparing to avoid a possible power crisis during the summer by increasing power generation from its coal-fired thermal power stations.
Speaking to presspersons on Wednesday, he said, “KPCL is taking care of over 50 percent of Karnataka’s power requirement. Currently, it generates around 70 to 75 million units of power a day and has planned to increase it to 90 to 95 million units during the summer. This will be possible by optimising the functioning of the Raichur Thermal Power Station and the Bellary Thermal Power Station and ensuring they get an uninterrupted coal supply.”
The Raichur plant, with an installed capacity of 1,720 MW, and the Ballari plant, with 1,000 MW, consume around 7 and 4 lakh metric tonnes of coal a month respectively, he added.
Regarding the dues payable to the corporation by the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited, Mr. Rao said, “There is no financial crunch for taking up expansion initiatives for capacity augmentation.”
He said that the construction of the Yermarus Thermal Power Station, a two-unit station with an installed capacity of 800 MW each, was going on with all the work being two months ahead of the schedule. “The synchronisation of Unit-1 would hopefully be done by March-end,” he said.
Fly ash
Responding to Upa Lokayukta Justice Subash Adi’s direction on research on the environmental impact of fly ash around the Raichur plant, Mr. Rao said that he would welcome directions to minimise environmental degradation.
“We would put mechanisms in place to scientifically manage fly ash at the Raichur plant and also get research conducted by a third party, like the Pollution Control Board,” he said.
Mr. Rao said that a committee of technical experts had been constituted to look into the recent accident at the Yermarus plant, in which two labourers were killed.
“The report is expected within a couple of weeks. We take precautionary measures to avoid such incidents in future,” he said.
Karnataka Power Corporation Limited Technical Director P. Bhaskar, Raichur Thermal Power Station Executive Director Venugopal C. and others were present.
KPCL generates around 70 to 75 million units of power a day now
There are plans to increase power generation to 90 to 95 million units in summer
