UT to bridge power supply gap with 760 crore purchase

CHANDIGARH: UT electricity department plans to spend Rs 760 crore on power purchase to bridge the demand and supply gap. This was submitted by the department in the multi year tariff (MYT) petition submitted before the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC). As per the petition, UT will spend money on power purchase from Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and from short-term sources like power exchange, solar energy from Chandigarh Renewable Energy, Science and Technology Promotion Society (CREST), and other power plants.

Peak power demand is estimated to reach 404 MW in 2019-20. In 2021-2022, it will increase to 448 megawatts in Chandigarh. Given the high rate of population growth, UT electricity department is already finding it difficult to provide uninterrupted power supply to city residents. The department also plans to improve its power infrastructure. As per official records, there are five 33KV sub-stations and 13 66KV sub-stations across the city. One sub-station has a life span of 25 years and six 66KV sub-stations have exceeded their life-span. The number of such sub-stations will continue to grow.

As per the plan, 12 new 66KV grid sub-stations will be established and all existing 66KV sub-stations will be upgraded in the next 10 years. The overhead transmission line of 2,037 kilometres in the city will be converted into an underground line. The department has set a 10-year deadline to complete the work. Also, there is a plan to install 1,825 new distribution transformers. Electricity department caters to 2.28 lakh consumers in nine categories. As per official figures, of the total consumers, 1.99 lakh are domestic, accounting for more than 87% of the total consumers. The remaining 23% belong to other categories, commercial, small power, medium supply, large supply, bulk supply, public lighting, agriculture power and temporary supply.

Chandigarh buys power from Central generating stations such as Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited, National Thermal Power Corporation Limited, Bhakra Beas Management Board, National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) and Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN).