Chennai, Nov 10:
The Tamil Nadu government has floated a comprehensive tender to procure 17,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity from the open power exchange and private generating companies to bridge the gap between internal generation and anticipated summer demand.
The tender, issued via the state power utility Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco), represents the fifth attempt to secure short-term power supplies after earlier rounds were cancelled owing to non-viable commercial terms and elevated tariff quotations. Under the procurement roadmap, supplies will be phased over six months to navigate the peak summer cycle: 2,000 MW in January, 3,000 MW each in February and March, an annual high of 3,500 MW in April, followed by 2,500 MW each in May and June.
Tangedco engineers indicated that high industrial activity combined with intense domestic air conditioning usage pushes grid loads to historic highs during the FebruaryāJune period. Commercial and technical bids submitted for the tender will be opened on November 13, after which the state regulatory commission will evaluate prices to finalise bilateral purchase agreements and ensure round-the-clock uninterrupted power supply.