NASHIK: Coal shortages across the country have led 13 thermal power plant units supplying power to Maharashtra State Electricity Regulatory Commission (MSEDCL) to temporarily shut down, prompting the state power utility to ask consumers to sparingly use electricity from 6 am to 10 am and from 6 pm to 10 pm to balance the demand and supply. Vijay Singhal, Chairman and Managing Director of MSEDCL, has said that the power utility is purchasing electricity at a high cost of Rs. 20 per unit so that citizens are not inconvenienced.
“For the next 10 days or so the situation is comfortable as we expect the coal situation to ease,” he said. “There is a shortfall of approximately 15-2000 MW and we are purchasing power from the open market even if the cost is as high as Rs 20 per unit,” Singhal said. As a result, 3330 MW power supply has been cut off and efforts are being made to provide power supply from hydropower and other sources along with immediate procurement to fill the gap.
Thermal power generation has been declining for the last few days due to coal shortages across the country. The units shut now are Mahagenco’s Chandrapur, Bhusawal and Nashik units of 210 MW each, Paras-250 MW and Bhusawal and Chandrapur’s 500 MW each. Apart from this, four units of 640 MW of Postal Gujarat Power Limited (Gujarat) and three units of 810 MW of Ratan India Power Limited (Amravati) are closed.
210 MW Nashik unit closed
Thermal power generation has been declining for the last few days due to coal shortages across the country. The units shut now are Mahagenco’s Chandrapur, Bhusawal and Nashik units of 210 MW each, Paras-250 MW and Bhusawal and Chandrapur’s 500 MW each.
No load shedding
Maharashtra energy minister Nitin Naut on Tuesday assured that there will be no load shedding in the state due to the ongoing coal crisis in the country. Raut asserted that despite a shortage of coal in the state, the Maharashtra government has made sure that the supply of electricity is not disrupted.
