GUWAHATI, July 9 � Deficit rainfall, together with shutdown of two units of the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation�s (NEEPCO�s) Kopili Hydroelectric Project, have aggravated the power position in the State these days.
Moreover, the power demand has also shot up this year from around 1,020 MW last year to around 1,100 MW during the peak load hours � between 6-30 pm and 11 pm. The off peak hour power demand�between 12 am and around 6 pm has also shot up this year from around 650 MW in July last year to around 750 MW.
Regional Meteorology Centre Deputy Director General H Pathak said that during this monsoon Assam and Meghalaya have recorded 35 per cent deficit rainfall. Arunachal Pradesh also recorded a similar percentage of deficit rainfall, while the Nagaland-Manipur-Mizoram-Tripura Meteorological sub-division has also recorded 41 per cent deficit rainfall during this monsoon.
According to the Assam State Electricity Board (ASEB) sources, all these have resulted in a shortfall of power supply between 250 MW and 300 MW during the peak load hours and between 50 MW and 100 MW during the off peak load hours.
The Assam Power Distribution Company Ltd (APDCL) has nowadays been procuring around 100 MW of power at the rate of Rs 7 per unit from the Power Exchange. Earlier, it was procuring around 150 MW at the rate of Rs 4 per unit, sources said.
However, the sources clarified that the amount of shortfall is determined by the weather condition and the day.
The Assam Power Generation Company Ltd (APGCL) is now generating between 287 MW (off peak load hour) and 337 MW of power (peak load hour) and it is receiving around 350 MW of power (off peak load hour) and around 480 MW of power (peak load hour) from the NEEPCO and 70 MW of power ( during both off peak and peak load hours) from the NTPC and 8 MW of power (during both off peak and peak load hours) from the private sector DLF.
The APDCL has notified one hour load shedding in all the areas of the State during the peak load hour, while the off peak load hour load shedding is not notified by it, said the sources, adding, the off peak hour load shedding is done depending on the condition.
Meanwhile, the commissioning process of the Lakwa 37.5 MW Waste Heat Project of the APGCL is on and it is expected to be operational within a month, said the sources.
