Power distribution companies (discoms) are against any attempt to increase power generation from renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power plants.
Amravati : Power distribution companies (discoms) are against any attempt to increase power generation from renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power plants.
This is significant in the wake of the Centre’s efforts to add energy generation from renewable energy as it is being considered as clean energy. AP, which is considered one of the green energy resourceful states in the country, is facing a peculiar situation where energy generation from non-conventional power plants had already surpassed conventional thermal and hydel power plants.
The power utilities are jittery over the targets to increase generation from renewable energy sources as they fear that it would lead to severe fluctuations in grid maintenance. The state has an installed capacity of 7,500 MW of renewable energy and the state government is planning to add about 10,000 MW solar power to completely meet agriculture sector power needs in the next three years.
In a recent directive, the Centre asked the state government to ensure addition of another 9,000 MW from renewable energy plants in next four years which is likely to take the capacity of the non-conventional plants to about 25,000 MW. This level of generation from variable power generation sources, according to discoms, is likely to create severe fluctuations at grid level.
“There were negligible uncertainties in the operation of grid prior to the addition of large scale of Variable Renewable Energy (VRE-wind and solar) integration. The system planning has become almost impossible and system operator is forced to handle several uncertainties from the resources including conventional generation after the large scale VRE integration. The uncertainties of VRE is affecting the reliability of the conventional generators as well,” explained the discoms in a filing before the AP Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC).
Usually power planning is carried out on ‘day ahead’ basis to meet grid demand for the next day. It is observed that there were several instances of large variations in VRE generation during the course of day, in absolute terms ranging from 50 MW to 2000 MW (over injection or under injection), between forecast and actual generation. Discoms said that they could not arrange such quantum of power at short notice and are forced to either give load relief or purchase power at exorbitant prices during intra-day market operations.
“No power market mechanism is also available to get power at short notices. In this scenario, State Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC) purely depends upon over drawl from grid resulting in receiving violation notices from Sothern Region Load Dispatching Centre (SRLDC) to adhere to the regulations,” said the discoms.
Source : TNN
