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Harayana to purchase 300 MW hydropower from Arunachal Pradesh

2022-06-30

Haryana has decided to purchase 300 MW of hydropower from Arunachal Pradesh for the coming nine months.

According to media sources, the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC) has given its clearance for the purchase of power under a temporary contract.

Due to low coal reserves in the thermal plants and a lack of supply from the private companies with which the government had contracts, Haryana has been experiencing power shortages for several months.

Many cities in the state began experiencing outages in the middle of March. On April 29, the government declared 6-8 hours of power cuts across the entire state.

When the supply was increased in May, Gurugram breathed a sigh of relief, but other communities continued to suffer in the scorching summer.

Haryana has already purchased electricity to handle a crisis. The HERC had authorised the acquisition of 500 MW from two coal-based power plants—MB Power in Madhya Pradesh and RKM Powergen in Chennai—for three years in April. During the peak demand months of April through October, they will provide power.

Officials informed that this year's electricity shortage in the state was serious. The state saw a shortfall of 2,570MW and 1,786MW of quantum energy in April and May when air conditioners worked nonstop to combat the oppressive summer heat. Authorities worry that the problem may soon reach 3,000MW.

Following HERC permission, the Haryana Power Purchase Centre (HPPC) would purchase 300MW from the Kameng Hydro Power Station in Arunachal Pradesh's West Kameng area for Rs 5.45 per kilowatt-hour (kwh). Up until March 2023, this will continue. North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Ltd (NEEPCO) is the owner and operator of the Kameng power station.

Officials from HPPC stated that hydroelectricity would be used continuously during the course of the upcoming summer weeks. It would only be in peak stations in the winter.

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