Transco Told Power Use Data Can’t Be Shared, as It Can Reveal Pumping Secrets

Hyderabad:An effort by TG Transco to get the irrigation department on board with respect to the sharing granular information about electricity used in each of its lift irrigation schemes appears to have been shut down by irrigation officials who said parting with such data comes with associated risks.

It was in April this year that officials from the energy and irrigation departments met to discuss streamlining of power consumption at pumping stations, and integrating the same with Transco’s State Load Despatch Centre where the two sides thrashed out this issue.

It is reliably learnt that in their response to the energy department, irrigation officials made it clear that revealing the data that was being sought, will not be in the interest of the state due to “administrative reasons” and the “sensitive” nature of the matter “in view of water disputes,” ostensibly referring to potential complications in inter-state water sharing issues as detailed power consumption data can reveal just how much water is being pumped by each of the lift irrigation schemes.

Meanwhile, in an admission that could be a cause of for concern in just how efficiently the pumping stations are being run, the irrigation officials also said that it employs “low level engineering category persons” for pumping stations operations to “minimize establishment charges” which in turn, “reduce the net cost of pumping water to meet the required ayacut.”

The irrigation officials made it clear to Transco that it should not insist on sharing pumps running and water drawal information for integration with SLDC in view of various reasons in addition to administrative reasons. Where ever possible, it is already shared and no more information can be shared at present, the energy department was told.

Transco had sought the integration with SLDC for continuous monitoring of energy demand and use by lift irrigation pumps amidst concerns from the energy department that were laced with some concern over grid safety. Transco was informed that since the pumping stations were not energy producers even when they trip, they should not impact grid conditions, especially if pumps of smaller capacity such as 20 MW ones, experience sudden stops and starts. Such tripping of smaller pumps should not have any impact on a grid with a capacity to carry 16,000 to 20,000 MW, Transco was told.

However, the irrigation officials said that they were willing to share tripping data of big motors of 200MW or more before restarting them. The irrigation department also informed Transco that the latter’s request to use pumps during non-peak hours was not possible as maintaining flows in canals will require constant pumping.