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Power production cost goes up at Vijayawada Thermal Power Station

Power generation cost has gone up by 10 paise per unit for want of variable frequency drive mechanism for some time at VTPS

Vijayawada: Power generation cost has gone up by 10 paise per unit for want of variable frequency drive mechanism for some time at Vijayawada Thermal Power Station (VTPS).

The thermal power station has an installed capacity to generate 42 million units of power per day and it costs Rs 3.10 per unit for generation of power.

As AP State Load Despatch Centre (APSLDC) located in Vidyut Soudha in the city keeps check on demand and supply of power round-the-clock, it issues directions to power generation plants on the quantum of power to be generated on a regular basis. At the time of generation of solar power between 9.00 am and 5.00 pm, the APSLDC issues instructions to power plants to back down in order to bring down the quantum of generation of thermal power based on the prevailing demand and supply of power.

Accordingly, the VTPS authorities reduce the quantum of power generation to 30 million units per day during that period and the reduced power generation is supposed to bring down the cost to nearly Rs 3 per unit but non-availability of variable frequency drive system is resulting in no change in cost of power generation at is it remains unchanged at Rs 3.10 per unit.

The VTPS sources say that irrespective of the load factor like high or low for thermal power generation, power consumption is remaining the same as they are unable to install variable frequency system which can adjust power consumption patterns and save some power when they generate less quantum of power like from the maximum limit of 42 mu/day to 30 mu/day or even less than it. They say that as it involves huge cost to install variable frequency system at the plant, they are avoiding it. But, lack of such a facility is resulting in huge additional costs being incurred on power generation at the plant. There is a vast difference in the cost for generation of 42 million units of power at the rate of Rs 3.10 per unit and Rs 3 per unit.

On the other hand, the plant is surviving on daily supply of coal and on Saturday, it produced nearly 27 million units of power.

A senior official at VTPS said, “There is a need to install variable frequency system at our plant to optimise expenditure of power generation and as we are getting daily supply of coal, we will continue to generate power as per demand.”

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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