Thiruvananthapuram: A relatively weak southwest monsoon has not unduly worried KSEB Limited. The public utility has already entered into agreements with suppliers for power to see the state through the lean months. Top KSEBL officials state that the state would not feel the pinch even if the monsoon is deficient by 20 percent. However, at the moment the deficiency is 30 percent. If the monsoon does not pick up by the last week of August, KSEBL might go in for costly short term purchase.
According to figures till July 31, KSEBL has been purchasing an average of 55.25 million units from outside. Of this, 27.91 MU is secured as central allocation from central generating stations, at a relatively low cost of Rs 2-3 per unit. KSEBL has estimated that the total power consumption for 2017-18 would be 24,770 MU. "To meet to increasing demand, KSEBL had already entered into long-term agreements for 865 MW," power minister M M Mani said.
“315 MW of the contracted power has reached the state during 2016-17 period itself. The remaining 550 MW is expected to flow in from October 1 this year," the minister added. Apart from this, KSEBL is also conserving water in its reservoirs considering the poor monsoon. This means domestic production will have to be cut down marginally. "To make up for this drop in domestic production, KSEBL is already purchasing power at a relatively low cost from power exchanges," a top KSEBL official said. Hydel production has been limited to 15 MU daily even in the middle of the monsoon. Last time too, when the monsoon was weaker, KSEBL had followed the same strategy. This had helped the public utility to manage the sector without having to resort to any major power curbs. It has also helped that daily consumption in the state is at a moderate level, an average of only 60 MU and marginally lower than last year.
