Centre asks NTPC, DVC to secure power supply for Delhi discoms

In view of the coal shortage and a potential power crisis, the Centre has issued directions to NTPC Ltd and Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) to supply as much power as available to Delhi. Coal stocks in power plants have fallen to low levels, and states have warned of blackouts and a power crisis.

The Ministry of Power said that NTPC and DVC may offer the normative declared capacity (DC) to Delhi DISCOMS as per their allocations under the respective power purchase agreements (PPAs) from their coal-based power stations. Both NTPC and DVC have committed to providing as much electricity to Delhi as demanded by the DISCOMs of Delhi.

NTPC may offer the normative declared capacity (DC) to Delhi DISCOMS as per their allocations (from gas-based power plants) made under respective PPAs. The gas available from all sources, including SPOT, LT-RLNG etc, may be included while offering the DC to Delhi DISCOMs, the Power Ministry said in a release.

Further, the ministry said that states have been requested to intimate in case of surplus power so that the power is reallocated to other needy states.

Electricity in Delhi is supplied by BSES Rajdhani Power, BSES Yamuna Power and Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd. The distribution firms are joint ventures with Delhi Power Co. Ltd, which owns a 49 per cent stake in each of them. The other discoms in the national capital are Military Engineering Services (for Delhi Cantonment) and the New Delhi Municipal Corporation.

According to the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), as on 10 October, India’s 119 coal-fuelled power projects with 129.866 gigawatt (GW) capacity had four days of coal stock. Besides, 16 plants located near coal mines with 35.2 GW capacity had five days of stock.

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