4 Mahagenco plants shut due to no demand

NAGPUR: For the first time in the history of the state-run generation power company Mahagenco, it has completely shut down four of its seven power plants. The total generation has gone below 2,000MW, which has also happened for the first time. The reason is no demand for power from state-run discom MSEDCL.
According to Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (MERC’s) merit order dispatch order, MSEDCL has to buy cheap power first before going in for costlier power.As the rate of generation of Mahagenco is higher than some private plants, the company has taken a beating.
A Mahagenco official said that all the units of Koradi, Khaparkheda, Bhusawal and Parli plants were offline. “Even though MSEDCL increased power supply to agricultural consumers from eights hours a day to 12, it has not helped. Heavy rains in many parts of the state has reduced demand for power. Farmers are not required to use their pumps. Moreover, the demand had increased during Ganeshotsav but now with the festival over the extra demand is no longer there. Presently, the total maximum demand is in the range of 13,500MW, which is quite low,” an official said.
The official added that Parli plant was closed down last year due to water shortage. “Now there is water in its feeder dam to run two units but we are unable to start them due to lack of demand,” he added. Last month, Mahagenco had started all the five units of the 1,340MW Khaparkheda power plant but had to close all of them down within a few days.
A MSEDCL official said that demand had also gone down due to increase in solar and wind generation. “The wind is strong during the rainy season and hence wind power generation has gone up. Many people are going for our solar roof top policy and this too is gradually reducing our demand,” he said.
The MSEDCL has become hugely power surplus from facing an acute demand supply gap a few years ago.