Tamil Nadu to remain a power deficit state till 2015-2016

    Even after massive capacity addition taken up by TNEB, TN will continue to be a power deficit state in terms of generation availability till 2015–16.

     The board has submitted a comprehensive proposal to overcome the power shortage to enable the lifting of restriction and control measures to the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC).

    The Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Company (TANGEDCO) proposal said that due to un-availability of transmission corridor for import of power to meet the accelerated demand, the prevailing grid condition dictates adoption of restriction and control measures, as there was a shortage of 2,500-4,000 MW. The projected demand from 2011-12 to 2016-17 varies between 12,462 MW and 18,311 MW, while the total generation availability would be increasing from 11,263 MW to 20,152 MW.

     In spite of commissioning of projects under execution, there is a gap between the projected demand and the generation availability from 2011-12 to 2015-16. There might be a surplus of 531 MW during 2016-17, the proposal said.

     During the same period, TNEB would add 15,957 MW to the grid through various projects. Due to unavoidable circumstances, some of the projects slated for commissioning during 2011-12 are moved to 2012-13, TANGEDCO said in the submission.

     The retirement of thermal power stations in Ennore (250 MW), NLC station 1 (475 MW) and Tuticorin (420 MW) and expiry of power purchase agreement with private power generators would bring down power availability from 8,000 MW in 2010-11 to 6,620 in 2016-17.To manage the expected deficit, TANGEDCO proposes to procure power ranging from 900 MW to 3,900 MW in stages through case-I bidding.