Delhi power crisis: Blackout warning for city as only ‘one day’ coal stock left

This warning came after the Delhi Power Minister held a meeting with the representatives of power distribution companies (discoms) to discuss the “power crisis”.

Speaking to ANI after the meeting, Jain said, “There is an acute shortage of coal in coal-fired power plants across the country. There is only one day’s stock left in the plants from which Delhi gets electricity, there is no coal at all.”

Appealing to the government to transport coal to Delhi, Jain said, “There is an appeal to the central government to transport coal soon using railway wagons.”

He further informed that all the plants are already running on only 55 per cent capacity, instead of the full 3.4 lakh megawatt (MW) capacity. “Today, only 1 lakh MW demand is left instead of 3.4 MW demand, but still, the power plants are not able to meet this demand,” he said.

Jain said that Delhi does have any coal plant of its own, the national capital has only small plants which produce gas. “We have a 1300 MW plant in Bawana, which runs on gas, where the gas supply was stopped yesterday. And the national capital does not have any coal plant of its own. Only three small plants are there which produce gas,” he said.

He stated that at present Delhi is dependent upon the Centre’s plant which is provided when we demanded power supply. “After two days, there will be a complete blackout in the whole Delhi, if we do not receive more power supply from the Centre,” Jain added.

In order to resolve the power crisis in Delhi, Jain said that the government is ready to buy expensive electricity at present.

“The capacity of our hydroelectric plants has also reduced from 45,000 MW to 30,000 MW. But, we want the plants to generate 45,000 MW of electricity during this peak hour. We have also made power purchase agreements with NTPC of 35,000 MW-45,000 MW. Still, we are ready to buy the expensive electricity today at the cost of ₹20 per unit, Jain added.

Further, Jain called this power crisis a ‘man-made crisis’. “It seems that this power crisis is a man-made crisis, just like oxygen-crisis took place during the second wave of COVID-19 was also man-made,” he said.

Delhi could face a power crisis, warns Kejriwal

Earlier today, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also warned that the national capital could face a power crisis.

“I am personally keeping a close watch over the situation. We are trying our best to avoid it,” Kejriwal said in a tweet.

He also wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday claiming that there is a coal shortage situation that has affected the power generation plants supplying power to national capital territory and requested him to intervene in the matter.

“I draw your attention to the prevailing coal shortage situation that is continuing since August/September 21 for the third month in a row, which has affected the power generation from the major Central Generating plans supplying power to NCT of Delhi,” said the letter.

The letter also mentioned that with the coal stock situation depleting in power generating stations, the dependence on gas stations supplying the power to Delhi increases. But, even the gas station supplying power to Delhi does not have adequate APM gas to run at full capacity, Kejriwal said.

“If the situation continues, it would severely impact the power supply situation in Delhi,” said Delhi Chief Minister in the letter.

With agency inputs