J&K HEPs generated over 16300 MUs power in 2023-24: CM Omar

Jammu, Apr 11: A total of 16300.47 Million Units (MUs) of electricity was generated by various Hydro Electric Power (HEP) projects in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir during the Financial Year of 2023-24.

It included 4913.28 MUs generated by Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation (JKSPDC) Power stations; 11105 MUs by National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) Power station and 282.19 MUs by Independent Power Producers (IPPs).

The Chief Minister, however, reiterated that the proper metering was key to resolve issues of unscheduled power cuts and related aspects.

This information has been shared by the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who also holds the charge of Power Development Department (PDD), with the House in a written reply to the question of National Conference MLA Ali Muhammad Sagar in just concluded budget session of J&K Legislative Assembly.

The Chief Minister stated that the aggregate installed capacity in MegaWatts (MWs) of 31 Hydro Power Stations in UT of J&K is 3540.15 MW. This included 2250 MWs (aggregate installed capacity) of 6 projects of NHPC; 1197.4 MWs of 13 projects of JKSPDC; 57.50 MWs of 5 IPP projects of JKSPDC and 35.25 MWs of 7 projects of IPP Jammu and Kashmir Energy Development Agency (JAKEDA).

CM Omar stated that the Department was committed to manage power supply efficiently during peak hours or season, particularly during winters in Kashmir and summers in Jammu.

“A schedule based on the actual demand and available capacity is prepared and is implemented, unless there is a distress call from the Northern Grid. This winter in Kashmir, the department has maintained an average supply of 1,750 MW in comparison to 1,575 MW last year,” he stated.

In terms of energy, 3,225 MUs were supplied between December and February 15, compared to 2,925 MUs last year, which is 300 MUs more than last winter. As a result, unscheduled power cuts, even during peak hours, were minimized or not noticeable, he remarked.

The Chief Minister has pointed out that for the upcoming summer in Jammu, the Department is planning to increase the power supply from 1,200 MW to between 1,400-1,450 MW, thereby ensuring no unscheduled power cuts.

He stated, “Unscheduled power cuts generally occur due to two main factors i.e., when demand exceeds available capacity and secondly due to Grid constraints or over-drawal from the Northern Grid.”

He said that in both Jammu and Kashmir regions, issues like improper load declarations by consumers and unmetered areas would lead to high energy wastage, resulting in high losses and over-drawals from the grid.

“While capacity issues have largely been addressed through recent schemes, a poor diversity factor (1.29 for Kashmir and 1.63 for Jammu, compared to the national average of around 4.0) leads to a mismatch between contracted load and actual demand. Proper metering is key to resolving these issues and the Department is working on it on a mission mode,” the Chief Minister has assured.

According to him, in areas where smart metering has been implemented, power cuts have significantly reduced or even eliminated.

“As metering progresses and reaches a larger number of consumers, we expect significant improvement in power supply, with no power cuts in low-loss areas. Such improvements are already evident on feeders where l00 percent smart metering has been completed - 45 in Kashmir and 50 in Jammu,” CM has stated.

“It is pertinent to mention that over the last four to five years, the Department has significantly increased the capacity in the transmission and distribution system by adding and augmenting grid and receiving stations and installing the new DTs, with more such works underway,” he has remarked.

Transmission capacity, according to him, has been increased from 8,695 MVA to 12,500 MVA, while distribution capacity has increased from 14,380 MVA to 18,572 MVA.

“To keep pace with growing demand, sufficient works are planned under the UT CAPEX budget to specifically address local-level capacity issues and improve the voltage profile,” the Chief Minister has pointed out.

These works include the installation of distribution transformers, creation or augmentation of receiving stations, LT extensions and more.

“A well-structured work programme, prepared by the Corporations, is being followed to ensure the successful execution of these initiatives,” the Chief Minister has reiterated.