Karnataka, which is already a hub of renewable energy in the country, is now looking to add to the total installed capacity over the coming years to meet the increasing power demand. This is apart from reducing dependence on traditional power (thermal and hydro).
According to sources in the Energy Department, the unique energy mix has insured the State in the backdrop of the coal shortage. Several other States in the country that rely primarily on power from thermal sources are struggling to meet the demand, given the severe shortage of coal. They have also announced load shedding across the spectrum of consumers, said sources.
In Karnataka, 51% of the power comes from renewable energy sources, 34% from thermal, 12% from hydro and 3% from nuclear. Even the peak demand in summer, which was 14,818 MW (March 18, 2022) and highest consumption of 285 million units (March 17, 2022), was managed with minimal reliance on thermal power, they said.
Data also shows that the coal dependency of the state is far lower than many other states such as Chhattisgarh, Delhi, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. This has forced these states to resort to buying power and load shedding.
G. Kumar Naik, additional chief secretary, Energy Department, told The Hindu that the State has been conserving coal, thereby reducing power generation in three thermal plants to less than 50% of the installed capacity. “The popular misconception is that renewable energy is unstable. But, we have been able to demonstrate that it is stable and secure. Karnataka invested in renewable energy early and now, we do not have to rely on thermal power as much,” he said and claimed that the government has been able to ensure ample power supply in the state.
The State Cabinet recently cleared the Karnataka Renewable Energy Policy (2022-27) that looks at developing Karnataka as a hub of renewable energy generation. The policy also envisages upgrading the renewable energy generation capacity of the State to 10 GW in the next five years and manufacturing of equipment related to renewable energy.
Mr. Naik said that the renewable energy variation impact on the grid could be better managed by large grid connected storage systems in the form of pumped hydro storage and battery energy storage systems. Through these storage systems, around 25% to 30% can be stored, which will help the state manage grid variability, besides being able to get low cost power.
But, while Karnataka is one of the top three sellers of power in the country, there is no respite to power cuts, especially in Bengaluru. “There is ample power available in the State. We have been able to ensure uninterrupted seven hours supply to the farmers, as promised by the government,” officials in the energy department said and attributed the power cuts, frequent disruptions in supply to local maintenance issues.
