Date:18/11/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/11/18/stories/2005111804590400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

CII recommends reforms in the coal sector

Special Correspondent

`Efficiency of power generating stations should also be improved'

EXCHANGING IDEAS: (From left) V. Raghuraman, Senior Adviser (Energy), CII; V.S. Varma, Member (Planning), Central Electricity Authority; Chandan Roy, NTPC Director (Operations); A.K. Tripathy, Director-General, CPRI, and L.V. Nagarajan, Managing Dire ctor, KPCL, at the national symposium on `Energy conservation measures in generation sector,' in Bangalore on Thursday. — Photo: K. Gopinathan

Bangalore: The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has suggested reforms in the coal sector combined with efficiencies in the existing power generation stations to meet the power security needs of the country.

The coal sector had immense potential to meet the demand for power in the country but was handicapped by lack of reforms. Besides taking initiatives to introduce aggressive reforms in the coal sector, there was also a need to improve the efficiency of the existing power generating stations in the hydel and thermal sectors, V. Raghuraman, Senior Adviser (Energy), CII, said while delivering the keynote address at a two-day national symposium on `Energy conservation measures in generation sector' here. According to him, the efficiency of power plants could be improved through remodelling, adoption of new technology and modernisation. But given the fiscal condition of power companies engaged in generation, transmission and distribution, this may be a difficult task unless they were transformed from under performers to best performers by providing financial assistance and motivation for adopting new technology and modernisation. He said the energy loss at thermal power plants could be reduced to a large extent by remodelling the plants using super-critical systems. NTPC Director (Operations) Chandan Roy said there was a large gap between designers of power plants and personnel operating and maintaining it. There had to be continuous flow of information between them for achieving more efficiency and energy conservation.

V.S. Varma, Member (Planning), Central Electricity Authority, Union Power Ministry, noted that power supply was the key to achieving the economic growth rate of over eight per cent.