Southern states to ensure power supply for key services by August during grid troubles

NEW DELHI: All the southern states are expected to implement by August the islanding schemes that would ensure power supplies to essential services in the event of grid disturbances.

The idea of islanding scheme gained prominence after the massive failure of electricity grids last July that affected more than half of country's population.

According to latest update from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), the planning body for the power sector, the four Southern states - Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala - would have islanding scheme by August 2013.

As of now, six islanding schemes have been envisaged for the South. These schemes also come at a time when the government is making efforts to connect the Southern grid with the National Grid.

In the South, the biggest islanding scheme -- having a capacity of 18,545 MW -- would ensure essential power supplies to major cities in the four states. It would cover Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Chennai and Hosur (Tamil Nadu), and North Kerala.

Another scheme of 7,380 MW would cover the rest of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Islanding schemes are already in place in many parts of the country including Maharashtra.

The enquiry panel, that looked into the reasons for the collapse of power grids last year, had suggested the creation of electricity islands.

"Efforts should be made to design islanding scheme based on frequency sensing relays so that in case of imminent grid failure, electrical islands can be formed.

"These electrical islands can not only help in maintaining supply to essential services but would also help in faster restoration of grid," the committee had said in its report submitted to the Power Ministry last year.

Meanwhile, the country is expected to see an energy shortfall of 6.7 per cent, with high shortages likely to be experienced by Southern region.

* "This is due to transmission constraints between Northern-North Eastern-Eastern-Western - Southern Regional Grid, which restricts flow of power to the Southern region," CEA had said recently.