AP govt to purchase 1050 MW power from private companies

Hyderabad, May 31 (UNI) In view increasing in power demand, the Andhra Pradesh Government today decided to purchase power from trading companies up to 1050 MW in addition to running the existing gas power stations with naphtha and over-drawing from the central generating stations (CGS) up to 800 MW.

Revising the power procurement plan for 2007-08, Dr Reddy directed the AP Transco that there should not be any power supply restrictions to any category and power should be procured at any cost to meet the shortfall, whenever and wherever necessary.

After considering the capacity additions, the power deficit for 2007-08 was 4,471 MU as the demand was 62,772 MU and the availability was 58,301 MU.

On generation front, during 2007-08, there was a significant shortage in availability of power due to delay in the availability of gas for the four new IPPs totalling to 1500 MW.

There was also short supply of gas to the existing IPPs and on account of this, 500 MW of power was not being generated by these projects. Thus, there will be a shortage of 2000 MW in the State due to non-availability of gas supply to the IPPs.

Under INDIRAMMA Phase-I scheme, a total 5,81,124 applications were registered by the end of April, 2007 for electrification of rural households as against which, 5,21,526 rural households had been electrified up to April 30, 2007. It is programmed to electrify the balance 59,598 rural households by the end of June 2007, an official release said.

UNI