Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has flagged off the shortage of coal in power plants that meet the national capital’s power requirements.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kejriwal said, “Sufficient coal can be diverted from other plants like Dadri-II and Jhajjar TPS, which are supplying to Delhi.”
He also suggested that Administered Price Mechanism (APM) gas may be allocated to plants like Bawana, Pragati-I and GTPS, which supply electricity to Delhi. He said that NAPM gas should be supplied in sufficient quantity to the power stations in Delhi.
Kejriwal also recommended a cap on the price at which electricity can be sold on the electricity exchange. “The maximum rate of electricity sold in any slot through the exchange, at present Rs 20 per unit, may be suitably capped to discourage profiteering by traders/generators from the current crisis.”
He said that these measures are necessary to maintain uninterrupted power supply in Delhi. Meanwhile, in late evening developments, Petroleum Secretary Tarun Kapoor replied that all required quantity of gas would be supplied to Bawana and Pragati stations.
Simultaneously, NTPC has been directed to increase the coal stock for Dadri and Jajjar stations at par with the national average and provide full availability. It was also noted that Delhi Discoms are not scheduling electricity from Dadri I as they want to exit the PPA after 25 years.
Official sources said they have been advised to schedule the power. Power discom Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd had earlier cautioned that Delhi may undergo intermittent load shedding in the coming days due to shortage of coal across the country.
Discoms have reportedly started sending SMS to their customers urging them to use power judiciously. Meanwhile, citing Central Electricity Authority data, Kejriwal said the current coal shortage situation continues for the third consecutive month since August/September 2021.
This has affected power generation from major central generating plants supplying electricity to the National Capital Region (NCT) of Delhi.
According to CEA data referenced by Kejriwal in his letter, NTPC Dadri-II, Jhajhar, and DVC (CTPS) have a day’s coal stock. Singrauli has a stock for four days, while Mejia has a stock that cannot last even a day. Kejriwal also said that there is acute shortage in the availability of natural gas for PPCL-1 and GT power plants.
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