Telangana Prepares Power Supply for Rabi and Summer Seasons

The Telangana government is taking proactive steps to ensure a stable power supply during the upcoming Rabi and summer seasons. This initiative includes the commissioning of the remaining three units of the Yadadri Thermal Power Station over the next few months. The state’s power utilities’ preparedness was discussed in a recent meeting led by Navin Mittal, Principal Secretary of Energy, which included key figures from various power companies.

During the meeting, attended by D. Krishna Bhaskar, chairman and managing director of Transco, and other executives, Mittal highlighted that Telangana recorded a maximum peak power demand of 17,162 megawatts in March 2023. This figure is expected to increase to over 19,000 megawatts in the coming months. March also saw the highest energy demand to date, recorded at 339.17 million units (MU).

Upgrades to Infrastructure and Capacity

To accommodate the growing energy requirements, the two distribution companies (Discoms) are implementing significant upgrades. They are adding 103 new substations and enhancing the capacity of power transformers at 181 extra high voltage transmission substations. The Southern Discom plans to install 8,384 new distribution transformers, while the Northern Discom is set to introduce 5,280 new transformers to manage the escalating demand.

Further improvements include increasing the capacity of transformers at 33/132 kV and 220/400 kV substations. New transmission and distribution lines are being constructed from the extra high voltage (EHT) and 33/11 kV substations, and the automation of distribution transformers and feeders is currently underway.

Coal Supply and Electric Vehicle Infrastructure

The Telangana State Generation Corporation (Genco) is also undertaking overhauls of its power generation units, with the BTPS and KTPS-IV units nearing completion. The implementation of a feeder outage management system in the Southern Discom has yielded positive results and will be expanded across all operations.

Additionally, N. Balaram from the Singareni Collieries Company Limited announced plans to boost coal production from the current 1.8 million tonnes per day to 2.2 million tonnes daily. This increase will ensure adequate coal supply for the state’s thermal power plants during the peak demand periods of Rabi and summer, mitigating the risk of supply disruptions.

In line with evolving energy demands, Md. Musharraf Faruqui detailed an ongoing survey for electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure, which has identified 3,121 potential locations for EV charging stations as of October 25, 2023. This number is projected to rise, reflecting the state’s commitment to sustainable energy solutions.

The meeting also saw participation from V. Anila, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of the Telangana Renewable Energy Development Corporation, further emphasizing the collaborative approach to enhancing the state’s power supply and infrastructure.

With these measures firmly in place, Telangana is poised to meet the anticipated surge in power demand, ensuring a reliable energy supply for its residents during the upcoming Rabi and summer seasons.