GUWAHATI/ AGARTALA, May 17 (TIWN): The Tripura State Electric Corporation Limited (TSECL) has managed to ensure supply of an additional amount of 50 MW of power at the cost of Rs. 1.75 crore from NTPC and PTC to meet the power demand partially during the peak-load hours for a week, with effect from Saturday said Manik Dey, Minister for power.Briefing media persons on Saturday at secretariat the minister said that the maintenance shutdown of the Palatana Gas-based Thermal Power Station for about a week has resulted in an additional shortfall of around 85 MW in power supply for the State during the peak-load hours.

According to the minister normally the total off-peak load hour power demand of the State during these days is around 200 MW (between noon and 5 pm) and around 150 MW to 200 MW (between 6 am and noon). The power demand of the State during the peak-load hours these days is around 250 MW between 8 pm and 9 pm. The minister said that the state currently has around 75 MW own generation. 85-90 MW of power used to come from the Palatana plant. With the plant gone for seven days from Sunday, for overcoming the shortfall TSECL will purchase additional power but there will still be deficits. He added that power-cuts of 1 hour and 30 minutes would be imminent for the next week.

These days, storms have caused a shortfall of around 10 MW to 15 MW power almost every day due to the damages to the power supply network.Dey further said that thirty power transformers were destroyed in thunderstorms in the past few days. Power transmission lines were tripped in 480 different points and 600 electric poles were affected in the storms. The Department is currently engaged in damage control exercise at war footing, the minister said.