Gujarat has an installed power generation capacity of 26,800 MW, of which 19,555 MW is conventional power, while 7,273 MW is capacity through non-conventional sources like solar, wind and hydro power.
IN A first-of-its-kind move aimed at curbing the burning of fossil fuel for power generation, the Gujarat government on Saturday announced it will not give fresh permissions for setting up new thermal power stations in the state.
The decision was taken by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, an official release said. The 8-10 per cent annual increase in power demand will be met through non-conventional sources, the statement added.
When quizzed about the development, Gujarat’s Energy Minister Saurab Patel told The Indian Express, “In a meeting yesterday, it was decided that we will no more be going for any new coal capacities.” When asked how the government plans to satiate the a-nnual increase in power demand, Patel said, “We are going very high on solar renewable energy.”
Gujarat has an installed power generation capacity of 26,800 MW. Of this capacity, 19,555 MW is conventional power, while 7,273 MW is capacity through non-conventional sources like solar, wind and hydro, states the socioeconomic review of the state, for the year 2018-19. The private sector consisting of Torrent Power, Adani Power, Essar and Tata Group contribute a lion share of power, produced largely through coal.
Power consumption in Gujarat rose by 9.7 per cent in 2017-18 when 85,445 million units of power were consumed in the state, as against 77,881 million units in 2016-17. The highest consumption of 55.52 per cent was reported for industrial and commercial use, followed by agriculture at 21.46 per cent. Domestic use of power was 17.22 per cent, while the rest was for public water works and public lighting.
Though new power purchase agreements continue to be signed for solar power — at rates less than Rs 3 per unit — the Gujarat government buys solar power from 42 different entities, at Rs 15 per unit. The Indian Express reported in April, 2019 that of the 8,275 million units of solar power produced between 2013 and 2018, a phenomenal 4,322 million units of power was bought by Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (GUVNL), at the rate of Rs 15 per unit.
Veteran energy expert K K Bajaj says, “Most thermal power stations of Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited (GSECL) — a wholly owned subsidiary of GUVNL — are shut, due to the high cost of generation. Secondly, the Plant Load Factor (PLF) of the functioning plants is just 40 per cent. So, the state government is encouraging more renewable energy projects in the state.”
Source: indianexpress
