By IANS
New Delhi : Power starved Delhi will get 8,000 MW of electricity from different states to meet its growing demand by 2009, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said here Wednesday.
"The demand for power is growing fast and we have entered into some agreements to avail 8,000 MW of electricity by 2009," Dikshit said at a function to mark five years of privatisation of power distribution in Delhi.
"The reform process that started five years back has started showing results. Currently, Delhi faces far less power shortage than many cities including Mumbai," the chief minister said.
Elaborating on the demand-supply scenario and electricity purchasing agreements, Minister of Transport and Power Haroon Yusuf said: "Delhi has entered into power purchase agreements for sourcing power from Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), Tehri Hydro Development Corporation (THDC), National Hydel Power Corporation (NHPC) and National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC)."
He added: "And from 2009 onwards, the National Capital Territory of Delhi will have a power surplus."
In 2007, the power demand crossed the 4,000 MW mark.
Yusuf said plans were afoot to set up gas-based power plants in Delhi in Bawana and at Bamnauli with a combined capacity of 2,000 MW to achieve greater resilience.
"Clearance for the plant at Bawana has been obtained and the work on the ground will begin as soon as gas availability is assured. Work on a new coal-based plant of 1,500 MW capacity has been taken up by NTPC in Jhajjar, Haryana. Delhi will get 750 MW from this plant," the minister added.
Dikshit said that private distribution companies like BSES and New Delhi Power Ltd (NDPL) too have been asked to set up power plants in order to meet the expected growth in demand beyond 2014.
"Do set up plants but arrange for your own gas requirements," she said in the programme organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
Talking about the pre-reform days in Delhi, Yusuf said one of the most disturbing features was the "unconscionably high level of transmission and distribution losses that had risen to 50 percent".
"While the target under the reform process was to reduce losses by 17 percent, the loss reduction target has been over-achieved. In the next four years, we aim to bring down the loss levels to around 15 percent" he said.