Maharashtra to experience compulsory power cut due to shortage of coal

Pegging the shortage at over 2,500 mw, Maharashtra to start compulsory power cuts due to high demand compared to supply, the state discom announced on Monday. 

The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company, in its statement, stated that compulsory power cuts in select areas would be carried out in both urban and rural.

The statement further read that the increasing demand for power and deficiency of coal has resulted in a shortage of 2,500-3,000 mw in power. To make it equal, MSEDCL will start resorting to load shedding, following the guidelines of the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission. 

However, the statement did not mention the areas where the power cut will be witnessed and its durations. 

MSEDCL does not serve a major portion of the country's financial capital, and these areas have previously been exempted from load shedding.

There is a record demand for over 28,000 mw of power, that is nearly 4,000 mw increased than last year's. MSEDCL's demand itself has touched up to 24,800 mw and the at night 23,000 mw, as per the MSEDCL statement. 

The MSEDCL has contracted 37,900 mw of power, out of which 33,700 mw is installed capacity, and 62 per cent is the outcome of the coal-fired thermal power plants, as per the statement.

Due to the nationwide coal shortage, there's a shortage in generation from the contracted thermal power plant, estimating the shortfall from coal plants alone to be 6,000 mw.

Attempts are made to receive power from alternative sources, including from NTPC, 673 mw till 25, from CGPL 760 mw, of which 410 mw is from Tuesday midnight.

The statement mentioned that the neighbour Andhra Pradesh has cut power supply to industrial consumers in half, while Gujarat only provides power to industrial consumers once a week.

The statement appealed to the customer to carefully use the power and cooperate in these difficult times.

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• MSEDCL
• Maharashtra
• Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission
• Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company
• coal
• coal shortage
• load shedding
• power cut