Telangana is self-sufficient now, will become power-surplus by 2022-23: Transco chief

HYDERABAD: Telangana State is now self-sufficient in power.  It has not purchased electricity from exchanges in the last two and a half months. On the other hand, it has sold power worth 280 crores to other States. In just four years, the new State is marching towards the power surplus situation.

“The State will become power surplus by 2022-23,” TS Transco and Genco Chairman and Managing Director D Prabhakar Rao has averred.

In a chat with the Editorial Team of Express here on Thursday, Prabhakar Rao dwelt at length on various aspects of power utility. He explained how the power-starved State had become self-sufficient in terms of generation and distribution.

He said they have adopted several measures to rid the State of power cuts. The peak demand was 6,600 MW when the State was formed and it touched 10,428 MW in March this year. “We are expecting the peak demand to touch 11,000 MW shortly,” he said.   Though the Bhadradri and Yadadri plants were delayed due to cases before NGT, the Genco has planned to commission two units of 270 MW each in March 2019 and the remaining two units by December 2019.

“We have commissioned 800 MW of Palvancha power plant in a record time of 40 months as against the normal gestation period of 48 months,” he claimed. Two units of Damaracherla plant will become ready in the next 36 months’.

“We will add 2,000 MW of solar power to 3,600 MW being produced at present. We are also expecting 800 MW of additional power from Central Generation Stations,” Rao explained.

Giving importance to non-renewable energy, Telangana will soon come out with a policy on wind power generation. “Currently, the wind power installed capacity is just 100 MW. Vikarabad area has got the potential for wind power generation,” Rao said. With the implementation of 24X7 free power supply to farmers, the farmers are not using agricultural motors during night time. Hence, the agriculture power demand is high during morning hours.

While discussing the issue of non-payment of power bills in Old City with the CM, KCR had reportedly said that efforts should be made to improve the standard of living of people in this area rather than going after them, as poverty is the reason for their non-payment. Also, just 8 per cent are defaulters and the loss we incur due to these defaulters is between `60 to `80 crore per year, Rao said.