Power production shortage, causes load shedding by MESCOM

Power production shortage, causes load shedding by MESCOM

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Nov 07, 2017: With the thermal plants in Karnataka in poor shape due to much needed coal affecting power production, electricity supply companies including Mangalore Electricity Supply Company (Mescom) have been forced to resort to unscheduled load shedding.

While there is no official word on load shedding, Mescom has already resorted to load shedding for 45 minutes to an hour in the morning and evening on the direction from the State Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC).

Sources in Mescom privy to the development told TOI that the SLDC is giving constant direction to the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems of respective Escoms to manage loads.

"Shortage of coal, non-functioning of some units at RTPS, BTPS and UPCL have affected the production and we have no other option but to resort to load shedding," the sources said, adding that load is being shed across the 220kV stations on rotation.

Citing the example of load management at 220kV Sharavathi Receiving Station at Kavoor, the sources said that the load demand there is 150MW. "However, we are forced to restrict it to 120-130MW and this necessarily has to be done by way of load shedding," the sources said.

Mescom has four major 220-kV stations located at Kavoor, Puttur, Kemar and MSEZ and the are restricting loads to the 110kV and 33kV stations down the line.