Huge gap between demand & supply, Assam relies heavily on purchased power

Guwahati, Nov 3: With sharp increase in electricity demand, Assam has to depend heavily on power purchased from outside as the State's own generation is not at all adequate. Meanwhile, the State government has given stress on use renewable sources of energy, including solar power, and several such projects are in the pipeline.

Power department sources told The Assam Tribune that the demand for power in the State is increasing substantially and this year, the demand was almost nine per cent higher than the previous year. Last year, the average gross demand at peak hour was 2,576 MW and it touched 2,879 MW this year in the month of September.

The total power consumption in Assam during the first quarter of the financial year 2024-25 is 3,420 MU (million units). It was 3,150 MU during the same period in 2023-24. This high increase in power demand is because of massive increase in commercial and industrial consumption.

To meet this demand, sources said, the APDCL has already secured adequate quantum of power by doing long term and short term power purchase agreements (PPAs). Apart from the existing long term PPAs, the Government of India has also allocated 500 MW of power from central sector generating stations like Dadri and Kahalgaon to meet the State's demand.

Sources said Assam generates only around 320 MW of power, leaving a huge gap between demand and supply. The remaining demand is met from other long term PPAs and power exchanges.

As per the PPAs, Assam will receive 208 MW from NHPC's Subansiri Lower hydroelectric project, 120 MW from APGCL's Lower Kopili hydroelectric project, 495 MW thermal power from NLC Ghatampur, 100 MW solar-wind hybrid power from SECI, and 154 MW from NTPC's Talcher project.

These power projects are expected to be commissioned from financial year 2025-26 to 2027-28. At this moment, the APDCL is receiving around 1,650 MW of power from the Central sector power stations. Station to station, the price of thermal power differs. The rates vary from Rs 1.35 per unit to Rs 7.04 per unit.

Assam is also receiving power from Bhutan under a long-term power purchase agreement, sources added. The State is receiving 144 MW from the Mangadechhu power project and 80 MW from the Nikachhu power project.

The State government is also laying stress on solar power and a total of 3,000 MW of solar power projects are in the pipeline to meet the increasing demand. Additionally, the APDCL is actively facilitating the implementation of rooftop so- lar installations under the PM Surya Ghar Scheme, promoting solar energy adoption at the household level.

Regarding power cuts in case of rainfall, sources said the APDCL does not intentionally resort to load-shedding. As a safety precaution, power lines are sometimes disconnected during heavy rains or storms. This is done to reduce the risk of electrical accidents, such as electrocution.

Additionally, disconnecting the power lines during such weather events helps protect the grid from damage that might be caused by short circuits. Once the rains subside and the risk passes, the power supply is restored.

-By Ramanuj Dutta Choudhury