India could add only 480 mw of new capacity in January, a sixth of the month’s target. Unless the next two months achieve a turnaround, the fourth quarter could see a reversal of improvement in the pace to 4,795 mw in the third quarter, from 2,870 mw in Q2 and 2,065 mw in Q1.

The performance has lifted the total capacity commissioned during the first 10 months of the current fiscal to 10,211 mw-58 per cent of 17,748 mw planned for the period. The projects commissioned during January included the 125-mw Barsingsar Lignite TPP, Unit-2 of Neyveli Lignite Corporation Ltd; 135- mw Wardha Warora TPP, Unit-3 of Wardha Power Company Ltd (KSK Energy Ventures Ltd); and 220-mw Kaiga Unit-4 of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd.

Cumulatively, the net capacity addition in public utilities till January in the ongoing 11th Plan amounted to 28,873 mw, comprising 25,280 mw of thermal, 2,713 mw of hydro (renewable) and 880 mw of nuclear power.

Power Sector Performance in 11th Plan
	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11 (up to January)
Capacity addition (mw)	9263	3454	9585	10211
Generation ('000 GwH)	704	724	772	669
Power deficit (per cent)	9.8	11	10.1	8.6

The renewable energy sources (grid connected) including small hydropower, biomass gas/power and wind energy etc., whose estimates are sourced from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, contributed 9,026 mw. The addition to the stock of public utilities exceeded 21,151 mw in 10th Plan and 18,524 mw in the 9th Plan. In fact, renewable energy, a star performer, has surpassed the achievements in the earlier Plan by 50 per cent.

The total stock of installed generating capacity at the end of January worked out to 170,229 mw; of which thermal power comprised 111,294 mw, large hydropower 37,367 mw, nuclear 4,780 mw, and RE sources 16,787 mw. Grid-connected captive generating capacity contributed another 19,509 mw.

Power transmission: The capacity addition of 28,031 ckm to 400kV transmission lines and 18,633 ckm to 220kV transmission lines till January in the ongoing 11th Plan has exceeded their respective additions during the 10th Plan. Likewise, the additions in terms of MVA in 400kV and 220kV substations also surpassed their 10th plan augmentation.

Growth in generation: Total power generation including that from the Bhutan joint venture increased by a record 9.3 per cent in January, against 4.3 per cent in December, 3.4 per cent in November and 8.3 per cent in October. Before this, the growth rate in power generation had collapsed to around 1.6-1.7 per cent average in August-September, from 3.9 per cent in June-July and 6.6 per cent during April-May.

The cumulative increase in power generation over April-January 2010-11 worked out to 5.04 per cent, which was still below 6.1 per cent in the corresponding period of 2009-10. Plant load factor for thermal plants (coal and lignite based) which was up by 3.5 per cent was assessed at 73.7 per cent during April-January 2010- 11, markedly lower than 76.7 per cent in this period a year ago.

PLF for nuclear power improved from 49 per cent to 61 per cent between these periods due to better availability of nuclear fuels.

Power deficit: The average deficit worked out provisionally to 7.6 per cent in January, lower compared to 8.2 per cent in December, which had reversed the declining trend of the past two months that had brought down the deficit to 6.5 per cent in November. Deficit during the first 10 months of the current fiscal worked out to 8.6 per cent, inferior compared to 9.9 per cent in the corresponding period a year ago, and 11 per cent in this period two years back. In fact, after running higher till August, relative to yearago levels, power deficit has tended to be less severe than year-ago levels in subsequent five months.

Cumulative peak demand level deficit worked out to 11.1 per cent, against 12.6 per cent in the same period last year and 13.8 per cent two years back. Lower power shortage could be reflective of a slowing economy as growth in generation during the period was lower than that a year ago.

Among the regions, Western region faced 13.4 per cent average deficit, much higher than the average for the country; Northern region faced 8.3 per cent deficit; Southern region and the Eastern region faced 5.2 per cent and 4.4 per cent deficit, respectively.

Among the states, Maharashtra, the biggest power consumer state, faced 17 per cent power deficit during April-January 2010-11. Madhya Pradesh saw 20 per cent deficit and Uttar Pradesh 16 per cent. In Southern region, Karnataka faced 7.8 per cent. Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu saw much lower deficit of 3.4 and 6.2 per cent shortage, respectively.