GUWAHATI, May 11 � The dismal power scenario in the State is expected to improve by tomorrow evening. The Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL) is expected to restore at least 50 per cent of the transmission capacities of its Eastern Grid lost due to the May 3 storm, by that time. This was the assertion made by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi at a press meet here today.
The Chief Minister informed the media persons that due to the damage to the two 400 Kv towers of the PGCIL, the State could now draw 120 MW of power from the Eastern Grid, against the 350 MW it had been drawing till the damage caused to the PGCIL towers by the May 3 storm. The incident has caused a shortfall in State�s power availability by 230 MW, he said.
The peak load hours shortfall of the State during these days has stood at around 450 MW, while its off peak load hours shortfall has been worked out to be around d 260 MW, the Chief Minister informed.
Rainless condition is also responsible for the present dismal power situation, besides the collapse of the PGCIL towers, he said.
The State�s power demand has shot up to around 1150 MW now, against the 580 MW it had in 2001. Its own generation has also been raised to around 300 MW (250 MW to be precise) now, against the 180 MW it had in 2001.
But the State does not have enough money to raise its own generation further. It has therefore approached the organisations like the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) to set up thermal projects and thus to have a fairly good amount of power as its share.
It is also insisting on the completion of the Lower Subansiri Hydroelectric Power Project (LSHEP), the Chief Minister said.
Assam State Electricity Board (ASEB) chairman Subhash Chandra Das, who was also present on the occasion, said that the State is expecting 350 MW of power from the Bongaigaon thermal power project being set up by the NTPC.
He expressed the hope that from December 2013, the State would be able to get an additional amount of 600 MW of power.
On the coal linkage plea made by the State with the Central Government, the ASEB chairman said that for the Margherita coal-based thermal power project, the State had filed its petition in 2006.
He also informed that the gas linkage plea of the State for its Amguri thermal power project is pending with the Central Government for the past about three years.
The Chief Minister said that the State has been making plea for more gas exploration and coal linkage with the Central Government.
In reply to a question, he said that the State gets less sunlight and hence it has less potential to generate solar power. Similar is the case in the area of its wind energy too.
When asked as to whether there was any survey conducted to assess the solar and wind power potential of the State, he said that such surveys were conducted and hence private parties are not that eager to come to the State for making investments in these sectors.
