THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Southwest monsoon is notoriously unpredictable but what is certain is that even if the rains play truant next year the power position of the state will be comfortable during the summer of 2016.
For the first time ever, the state will reap the benefits of long-term and medium-term open access deals KSEB has struck with private power producers.
Though the supply of 600 MW from central power stations will cease in early 2016, the long-term and medium open access (LTOA and MTOA) deals will bring in enough power to tide over any shortages, or even surprise outages.
KSEB Limited sources said that the state would have at least 400 MW more during the summer of 2016 than during the current year.
KSEB will get nearly 300 MW from two LTOA deals it had struck way back in 2013; 150 MW from Maithon Power Plant and another 150 MW from Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC).
And from two MTOA deals KSEB will bring in 400 MW; 300 MW from MVVN (Madhyanchal Vidyut Vitaran Nigam) and 100 MW from Power Trading Corporation.
These deals too were entered into in 2013. The power from PTC has already started arriving, the flow from MVVN will begin from November this year.
By March 2016, however, the supply of 319 MW from Jhajjar Power Limited (Haryana) will cease. By the same time, 300 MW from Simhadri Super Thermal Power Station in Andhra Pradesh too will dry up.
The fall in Simhadri power will be nearly compensated by securing 286 MW from Maithon (122 MW) and Jindal Power (165 MW) as part of an MTOA deal.
The sudden increase in the flow of power from northern parts to the state has been facilitated by the commissioning of two transmission lines.
Though the first line was commissioned in 2014, norms were violated to deny Kerala its share. A series of litigation finally established Kerala’s right; power from PTC and MVVN flows arrives via this line. The second line will be commissioned next month in November; Maithon and DVC power will reach the state through this line.
