204 MW of power cuts as Northern Grid experiences problems

New Delhi, Apr 29 (UNI) The capital today experienced 204 MW of power cuts during the peak period as the Northern Grid, which accounts for a high percentage of its power requirment, continued to experience problems of frequency.

''The frequency problems being encountered by the Grid are due to in the demand for power far surpassing the generation of the Grid,''sources in the Delhi Transco said.

The generation level in the Northern Grid has not been able to keep pace due to several central sector plants being non-functional.

However, with several central power plants expected to get back in operation in the coming week to ten days, the situation is expected to improve, they said.

''We are hopeful of soon getting back to action several central sector plants like the Dadri, Sanghrauli and the the Nathpa Jhakri units. The annual maintainence work on these units, which have witnessed frequent breakdowns over the last 10 months, will soon be over and hence we hope to get them back to operation,''the sources said.

While the 500 MW Singhrauli plant is expected to be back in operation by next Tuesday, the Nathpa Jhakri will resume operation next week and the Dadri in the next ten days, they said.

With the operationalisation of the units the problem of frequency in the Northern Grid will be solved to a large extent, the sources said.

''We expect the situation to start normalising from Monday onwards,''they said.

Another factor that could contribute to solving the frequency problem faced by the Northern Grid was the Central Electricity authority asking all the nine states which draw power from the Grid, not to overdraw, supply from the grid could soon be back to normal.

CEA chairman Rakesh Nath has asked all the nine states to stop overdrawals by 1000 Hours on May 1. This would mean, that when the frequency is low and some state tries to overdraw, their supply would be automatically cut off.

Infact, excessive overdrawals by the states drawing power from the northern grid had pushed the grid to brink of collapse resulting in acute shortage of power in the grid. Energy experts say the stoppage of overdrawals by states could save the grid from collapsing, ensuring regular supply to Delhi from it.

Delhi today experienced a peak demand of 3021 MW while the total load shedding was 212 MW.

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