Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Mar 30: After the government announced lockdown as the key measure to stop coronavirus infection from spreading, industrial and commercial businesses have been using much less power. As a result, although peak summer is approaching, the demand for power, instead of shooting up, has gone down by about 2,000 megawatts.

As there is a bulk reduction in demand for power, perhaps for the first time for many years, some of the thermal power plant units have stopped generating power. The power being provided by the central share and the solar power units is enough for the state's need at this point of time. Therefore, there is no pressure on hydroelectric power and thermal power. This has effectively removed any apprehension of load shedding during summer months.

With the clamping of Janata curfew and lockdown in the state, there has been a bulk reduction in demand for power. With each passing day, the demand for power has been declining. The average demand for power has come down between 1,600 MW to 2,000, and the current demand hovers around 8,500 to 9,000 MW.

In addition to a reduction in industrial and commercial use, people have also started to distance themselves from using air-conditioners as there is talk of coronavirus spreading because of them. Use of agricultural pump sets has been reduced, said an official of Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd. Currently, the state is under compulsion to use 2,000 to 3,000 MW of plougher supplied by the Centre and gets 4,500 MW from solar power. The small difference is met through hydro electricity and thermal power generators. As there is enough reserve of water in reservoirs supporting hydroelectricity generation units and coal in thermal power units, this year, chances of power shortage are dim," sources added.

Normally, all the thermal power units work without rest from January to June but this time, three out of eight thermal power units at Raichur, and two out of three in Ballari have been shut. They account for 1,830 MW of power. The officials say that shutting down the units during the summer is perhaps for the first time ever.

Manging director of Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd V Ponnuraj, says that about 50 per cent of power generating units are functioning because of fall in demand for power. He said that the coal stock now is sufficient for one month. He pointed out that compared to the capacity to generate 140 to 150 million units of power, only 70 million units were being produced.