Summer showers dispel power curbs in Kerala
Compared to last year, costly purchases from naphtha and diesel plants are virtually zero
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The inflow into the state’s reservoirs this summer has been so bounteous that power curbs in the near future has been effectively ruled out.
The reservoirs have received the highest rainfall in the last decade. If the average inflow into the reservoirs in the last nine years was 4 million units, this year it has been 14.3 MU.
As on April 20, the reservoirs together have enough water to generate 1780 MU, nearly 500 MU more than it could last year.
Met Department figures show that the state has received excess rainfall since the advent of summer in March. Districts like Idukki have experienced 100 percent excess rainfall.
Though the reservoirs are adequately replenished, KSEB Limited has remained extremely controlled in the use of its waters.
While more than 30 MU were generated from hydel stations during this time last year, hydel generation has been restricted to 18 MU this year.
“Such sound strategic thinking is rare for KSEB Limited. It could have easily upped its hydel generation considering that daily consumption still hovers around 60 MU. In the middle of March, it had even soared to 70 MU,” a top KSEB official said.
It has also helped that KSEBL sources 40 percent or nearly 70 percent of its needs from highly cost-effective central generating stations where the cot per unit is less than Rs 2 per unit.
This, again, reflects sound planning on the part of KSEBL. “Transmission-related constraints had earlier pushed KSEBL to introduce power curbs but such favourable climatic and cost factors have effectively prevented it from taking such a step,” the official said.
Compared to last year, costly purchases from naphtha and diesel plants are virtually zero. If last year KSEBL lifted 12.68 MU daily from stations like NTPC Kayamkulam and Brahmapuram Diesel Plant at an average of Rs 12 per unit, this time the purchase is limited to a negligible 0.34 MU. With crude oil prices moderating, even this minor purchase is made at a far lesser cost per unit.