Telangana power generation capacity to touch 17,000 MW by year-end

Telangana is set to increase its power generation capacity from 14,200 MW to 15,000 MW by March 2018 and to about 17,000 MW by the year-end. The capacity augmentation will come through the commissioning of 800 MW coal-fired thermal power plant at Kothagudam by March 2018. The state managed to add significant capacity over the last three-and-a-half years, up from 6,573 MW in June 2014, when the Telangana State was carved out, to about 14,972 MW following the light-up of the unit seven of Kothagudam thermal power station. Significantly, the unit would be completed in less than 39 months as against the stipulated time of 48 months as provided for by the Central Electricity Authority. This will also help the TS Genco to bring down the cost of loans during the construction phase. The proposed upcoming capacity, about 4,000 MW is expected to come up at Yadadri power plant, where works are under way. Two units of Bhadradri project are likely to be commissioned by December 2018. The State now has an installed capacity of 3,200 MW, and if the plans go through, additional solar capacity is likely to be added by the year-end. The State plans to have 5,000 MW of solar capacity within a couple of years.