Klgsystel.com
Power Generation in India
- Installed Capacity – 120000 MW Peak Shortage – 12.6%, Energy Shortage – 7.5%
- Sources of Power Generation – Steam – 57%; Hydro – 26%; Nuclear – 2.4%; Wind – 1.7%; Gas – 10%; Diesel – 1.0%
Generation Related Issues
- Plant Load Factor Improvement
- Low Quality, high ash content coal as primary source of fuel
- Alarmingly low participation of private sector in capacity augmentation
- Alternates to Thermal in Hydro and Nuclear have not picked up as per expectation
- Peak and Energy Shortages still remain; hence no possibility of spinning reserves
- Environmental pollution
Power Transmission
- Transmission System comprises 400kV network for Main & Bulk transmission. Total Transmission network is about 22000 km
- Power Grid Corporation is responsible for transmitting electricity at 400 kV and 220 kV
Transmission Related Issues
- Grid Discipline, with over drawls resulting in grid collapse
- Enforcement of Availability Based Tariff (ABT)
- Weak Reactive Power Management resulting into poor voltage regulation
- High Switching Transients
- Interconnection of regional grids for transfer of bulk power from one part of the country to another
Power Distribution
- Power is distributed at 0.4 kV level after being stepped down from 11 kV
- Total Distribution capacity is about 250000 MVA; total number of consumers is over 130 million
- Distribution sector is managed by state owned distribution companies / boards / corporation or private companies
- APDRP and subsequently Indian Electricity Act 2003 have made distribution companies more accountable and opened up privatization
- Average annual compound growth rate of electricity consumption since 1950 has been 8.9 %
- Electricity consumption in different sectors:
Agriculture- 24.9%
Industries – 33.9%
Domestic & Commercial – 32%
Others – 9.2%
Distribution Related Issues
- Inefficient / poorly designed and managed network/equipment
- Metering – Not 100%
- High Aggregate Technical and Commercial Loss- 30% to 50%
- Distribution companies are financially stressed
- Tariff structure based on subsidizing agricultural sector at the expense of Commercial and Industrial sector; resulting into theft and /or shifting of Commercial and Industrial sector to own captive generation
- Weak Revenue Management and Energy Accounting
- Lack of Load Forecasting – Long Term and Short Term
Users of Power
Agricultural Sector
- Highly subsidized or free power to agriculture sector; with flat rate tariff in many states
- Main use of electricity is for pumping ground water for irrigation; total number of electricity driven pumps is about 141 lakh with compounded annual growth rate of 13.3 %
- Share in overall electricity consumption is about 30%
- Agriculture supply is at predominantly high loss due to longer HT/LT line and misuse of single phasing period \
- xtensive scheduled and unscheduled load shedding
- HVDS is being implemented in many states
Domestic Sector
- Compounded annual growth rate reduced from 13% in 1984-85 to 5.0% in 2002-03 due to shortage of power availability
- Energy charges may be partially subsidized for this category in some states
- Non-technical losses including theft, tampering of meters, billing and collection errors are common
- Variance between Sanctioned load vs. Connected load is high; with middle class consumption patterns changing rapidly, especially in Metros and Class A cities
Commercial Sector
- Compounded annual growth rate reduced from 9% in 1984-85 to 5.4% in 2002-03 due to shortage of power availability
- Quality and Reliability of supply is of major concern to this sector
- Most commercial buildings opt for own in-house generation for continuous supply relying on expensive diesel
- Energy charges to this sector are comparably high because of cross-subsidy resulting in theft
Industrial Sector
- On the receiving end of the cross-subsidy policy, this sector has the highest tariff among all users with unit charges as high as Rs 5/- per unit
- 8.6% compound growth rate per annum
- Lack of reliable and good quality power supply to this sector has led to own captive generation by many industries, hence reducing revenue share of utilities
To Top