The Hindu : Move to enforce power grid discipline

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 16, 2002

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Other States - New Delhi

Move to enforce power grid discipline

By Lalit K. Jha

NEW DELHI OCT. 15. Beginning December 1, the Delhi Power Supply Company (DPSC) would have to think twice before overdrawing or underdrawing of electricity from the Northern Grid. It would be imposed a hefty penalty, most of the time, if it deviates from the schedule fixed by the Northern Grid.

In an effort to bring grid discipline among the utilities of the region, particularly DPSC which very often brings the grid on the verge of collapse by its indisciplined behaviour, the Power Grid Corporation of India has decided to introduce Availability Based Tariff (ABT) in the Northern Grid from December 1.

The Power Grid Corporation of India, Director (Operations), Bhanu Bhushan, said ABT has been successfully introduced in the Northern Grid from July 1. "It has been able to bring in a sense of discipline among the Western Grid States,'' he said. The collapse of the Western Grid a couple of months ago was because of overdrawal of power by Madhya Pradesh. Its State Electricity Board had to pay a penalty to the tune of Rs. 2.5 crores per day. "Now the State is following the schedule,'' he said. Mr. Bhushan said electricity utilities of the Northern Grid including Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir, besides Delhi have agreed to the ABT. Twenty electronic metres have been installed at the various interconnection points in the Capital so that ABT could be enforced.

Giving details of ABT, top Northern Grid officials said the Delhi Power Supply Company could be imposed a penalty to the extent of Rs. 4.20 per minute of electricity overdrawn from the system under normal conditions. In case the system had excess of power, the DPSC could draw more power than scheduled at almost no cost which could be as low as 20-30 paise per unit. "It has been linked with the frequency,'' officials said.

Further, the DPSC would again be imposed hefty penalty if it does not withdraw power as scheduled. Similarly power generating units too would be imposed upon a penalty if they do not generate electricity as scheduled.

Top Northern Grid officials hoped the frequency and quality of electricity in the region would improve drastically during the winter and chances of grid collapse would minimise. With energy being a scarce commodity and so much emphasis on its conservation, officials claimed enforcement of ABT would was an eco-friendly measure. "Grid discipline is the ultimate objective,'' officials said. Officials in the Northern Grid said that Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir were the two most indesciplined lot of the region. Given the past experience, both of them might have to pay in crores if they continue with the unscheduled overdrawal of power during the peak hours.

While during peak hours of summer and winter months, DPSC has been overdrawing at times 500-600 MW from the grid, during the rainy days when the power situation is normal, underdrawal of power is to the tune of above 1,000 MW. "This is done without informing the grid control room as a result most of the time we are doing fire-fighting operations at the control room,'' they said.``Introduction of ABT from December 1 which will be expanded to other parts of the country as well in the near future would streamline the operations of the regional grids. There would be a defined scheduling procedure and the electricity utilities would be encouraged to follow it,'' Mr. Bhushan said.

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