Proper procedures were followed in purchasing short-term power for meeting the 2021 summer demand, the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) said on Saturday.
The KSEB came out with the clarification in this regard following an allegation that it had signed a contract with the Adani Group for direct purchase of electricity for meeting the summer demand.
As part of guaranteeing power supply during the summer months, the KSEB had invited competitive tenders for 100 MW round-the-clock (RTC) power and another 100 MW between 2 p.m. and 12 midnight through the Discovery of Efficient Electricity Price (DEEP) e-bidding portal, an initiative of the Union Power Ministry.
In such e-tenders, direct negotiations with the power suppliers are not possible, the KSEB notes. The details of the tender floated by the KSEB are visible to all suppliers who have registered on the DEEP portal. Additionally, the details were also published on the KSEB website and in two English newspapers, the power utility said.
The KSEB had received 11 bids. Adani Group and GMR Trading Company won the bid for 50 MW each for the 100 MW RTC power sought by KSEB at ₹3.04 per unit. For the supply of 100 MW power between 2 p.m. and 12 midnight, the bids were won by GMR Trading Company (50 MW) and PTC India (50 MW) at ₹3.40 per unit.
The rates were acceptable as Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat had, at the time, obtained RTC power at rates ranging from ₹3.27 per unit to ₹3.69 per unit. Other States guaranteed the 2 p.m.- 12 midnight supply at rates ranging from ₹3.99 per unit to ₹6 per unit.
KSEB adhered to Central government norms in completing the tender procedures for purchasing short-term power. These pacts are helping the power utility to meet the increased electricity demand during summer, it said.
