Kerala electricity board sweats it out as consumption peaks to new highs
Business Line Bureau

Thiruvananthapuram, March 14

The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) is sweating it out literally as an unusually hot summer ratchets up power consumption in the State and resources drain just as fast.

Given this, the State Government is launching a comprehensive energy conservation programme on Monday that aims to distribute 1.5 crore CFL bulbs to domestic consumers in the State, says the Electricity Minister, Mr A.K. Balan.

NEW RECORDS

The daily consumption has been showing a rising trend over the years but the public utility did not evidently bargain for the peak 54.9 million units (mu) registered on Friday.

Last year, the daily consumption had ranged between 40 mu and 49 mu during this phase.

The KSEB fears that the intense heat this year would create new daily records going forward, given that it is still early summer days.

Things are expected to turn worse in April and May unless summer showers come to the board's help in a liberal manner.

But the forecasts have failed to inspire much confidence just yet.

HUGE GAP

The thermal power stations in the State produce five to six million units daily, while the allocation from the Central pool is of the order of 20-21 mu. Another six million units are being purchased from the power exchange.

This leaves a huge gap that needs to be filled by generation from the hydro-electric stations, according to Mr Balan here .

What are expected to be available is only 19 mu, he said citing various figures.

For instance, on Friday, the various reservoirs as a whole had reported storage enough to produce 2,650 mu.

A strategic minimum storage to generate 500 mu has to be maintained on May 31, the eve of normal monsoon onset, to insure against possible vagaries of the weather.

This would leave the KSEB with only so much water to produce only 1,500 mu until May 31 - or for the duration of the next 79 days to the normal start of the monsoon.

COSTLY POWER

This practically whittles down the availability to 19 million units from the hydro-electric stations.

The board, however, ends up producing 23-24 mu due to various compulsions, including the need to make good the gap between the increased demand and reduced availability from thermal stations, the Central stations and the open market.

Thermal energy is proving increasingly dear, with the power generated from the NTPC-Kayankulam and BSES going at Rs 7.50a unit, not adding the fixed charges.

This has brought to bear a daily additional outgo of Rs 6 crore on the already stretched finances.

BULB EXCHANGE

It is in this background that the board is launching the comprehensive energy conservation drive in the State.

The 75 lakh domestic consumers would be enable to exchange two 60 watt incandescent bulbs for two 14 watt CFL lamps.

Priced at around Rs 150 in the open market, the CFL lamp is being made available to the public at Rs 15 under the programme, Mr Balan said.

The programme will be coordinated by the Energy Management Centre, an autonomous body under the Department of Power.