The power supply scenario in Maharashtra may improve marginally from mid-May after the state-owned electricity generation utility imports coal from abroad. This will add to the dwindled coal inventory and ramp up generation at thermal power plants.
The Maharashtra State Power Generation Company Limited (MahaGenco) will import 20 lakh metric tonnes of coal. This stockpile is expected to reach the power plants by mid-May and help ease the situation when the demand is expected to rise further.
The growth in electricity demand caused by the soaring heat and consumption by industrial and agricultural consumers has led to the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) facing a gap of around 2,500 MW to 3,000 MW. The power distribution utility has started load-shedding or power cuts across the state. The crisis has been exacerbated by the nationwide coal supply crisis, which has affected the coal inventories and capacity utilisation at the MahaGenco’s thermal power stations.
