India likely to be power surplus nation in FY18

New Delhi: India may become a power surplus country in the current fiscal as the energy shortage and peak power deficit was already less than 1 per cent in April with many states reporting nil electricity deficit.

According to Central Electricity Authority's latest monthly report for April, the energy shortage in the country is reported at 0.5 per cent during the month compared to 1.4 per cent a year ago.

In April, the energy shortage was as low as 0.1 per cent each in Western, Southern and Eastern region. However the Northeastern region has reported energy shortage of 4.5 per cent. It was 1.5 per cent in the Northern region.

Peak power deficit too has reduced to 0.8 per cent across the country in April this year. It was recorded at 0.1 per cent each in Southern, Eastern and Western regions.

However, the Northeastern region reported a peak power deficit of 2.2 per cent in April. It was 1.8 per cent in Northern region.

As per the Power Ministry data, many states have reported nil energy shortage and peak power deficit in April this year.

These states include Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Sikkim and Tripura, West Bengal.

There are other states where energy shortage (ES) and peak power deficit (PPD) has been up to 1 per cent in April. They are: Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh (PPD zero), Jharkhand (PPD zero), Maharashtra, Meghalaya (ES zero), Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, Telangana (ES zero), Uttarakhand (PPD zero).

Uttar Pradesh, where BJP recently won elections with a thumping majority, reported an energy shortage of just 1 per cent in April from 14 per cent level a year ago. Besides, the peak power deficit was down to zero.

According to the load generation balancing report of the Central Electricity Authority for 2017-18, India would become power surplus nation.

It said, "All India power supply position indicates that the country is likely to have a peak surplus of 6.8 per cent and energy surplus of 8.8 per cent."

It also said that surplus energy is anticipated in the order of 7.4 per cent, 13 per cent, 9.8 per cent and 3.0 per cent in the Southern, Western, Northern and North-Eastern Regions respectively.

However it said that the Eastern region is likely to face minor energy shortage of 0.2 per cent which can be met through surplus power in other regions.

It has also said that the peaking surplus is likely to prevail in all the regions-- Northern, Western, Southern, Eastern and North-Eastern regions to the tune of 6.7 per cent, 17.2 per cent, 1 per cent, 10 per cent and 2.7 per cent respectively.