Andhra Pradesh Southern Power Distribution Company Limited

Power sector of Andhra Pradesh is divided into 4 categories namely ''Regulation'', ''Generation'', ''Transmission'' and ''Distribution''. ''Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC)'' is the regulatory body. ''APGENCO'' deals with the electricity production and also maintenance, proposes new projects and upgrades existing ones as well. The APGENCO also set up a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), named as ''Andhra Pradesh Power Development Company Limited (APPDCL)'', a joint venture company of APGENCO (with 50% equity) and IL&FS (50% equity) to set up Krishnapatanam thermal power project (2x800 MW).

'' APTRANSCO'' is set up for transmission of power. APGENCO, APPDCL, NTPC and other private firms contribute to the generation of power in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Andhra Pradesh has become the second state in India to achieve 100% electrification of all households. Weighted average cost of power generation and purchases is INR 3.45 per kWh which is highest in the country. Andhra Pradesh is also leader by installing 433 nos electric vehicle charging stations (EVCS) out of 927 nos installed in the entire country as on 30 June 2020.

Under the program of installing 500 GW capacity of renewable power capacity by 2030, nearly 59 GW (25%) of solar and wind power is identified out of 236.58 GW in three districts of the state.

The newly formed Andhra Pradesh Green Energy Corporation Limited (APGECL), a 100% subsidiary of APGENCO, will be the trading agency/licensee for the 10 GW solar project in a phased manner and for connecting it to the grid. The 10 GW solar projects would be used to meet the entire agriculture power consumption which will be met during the day time for nine hours duration daily. Andhra Pradesh is also leading in installation of solar power /off grid agriculture pump sets. A renewable energy export policy for Andhra Pradesh was also announced to facilitate the setting up of 120 GW solar, wind and solar-wind hybrid energy parks by using 0.5 million acres of land. New & Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (NREDCAP), a state owned company, is actively involved in promoting renewable energy projects in the state. Roof top solar power cost/unit in the state are falling below the domestic power tariff.

The total installed utility power generation capacity is nearly 24,854 MW in the state as of 31 March 2020 APtransCo has made long term power purchase agreements for 19,068 MW as of 31 March 2019. The per capita electricity consumption is 1234 units with 63,143 million KWh gross electricity supplied in the year 2018–19. The performance of Krishnapatanam thermal power station (2X800 MW) with super critical pressure technology is not satisfactory even after one year commercial operation as the units rarely operate at rated capacity forcing the state to purchase costly power from day ahead trading in IEX.

Short term power purchases

APDisComs purchase regularly from the energy exchange, etc. to meet the peak load and energy shortages. As the power purchases/sales are done on daily basis without proper planning and optimum utilization of APGENCO power generation capacity, APERC has given guidelines to the DisComs for implementation while making short term (less than one year duration) purchases and sales in the year 2022.

Non-renewable

Thermal power

Thermal power plants are based on the fuel coal, gas, diesel etc. Public sector undertaking NTPC, state level power generating companies and private firms are engaged in this sector for power generation.

Currently operating coal based thermal power plants in Andhra Pradesh are listed below.

Gas fuel-based

The following are the list of presently installed combined cycle gas turbine power plants and diesel engine power plants in the state. However many of these power plants are not operating due to non-availability of natural gas and high cost of liquid fuels.

Renewable

Hydroelectric

This is the list of major hydroelectric power plants in Andhra Pradesh.

Pumped storage hydroelectricity projects

Pumped hydroelectric energy storage (PHES) projects with high water head are the cheap means of converting intermittent renewable power generation sources like solar PV or wind power in to base load supply for round the clock needs throughout the year. AP state is endowed with vast PHES potential adequate to utilise its vast solar PV power generation potential (above 1,000,000 MW installed on 16,000 km² marginal lands) to meet ultimate green energy requirements of its peak population (60 million). AP is considering on a major scale to install PHES projects to make available the surplus wind / solar power during the peak load hours. PHESs also generate income, in addition to hydroelectricity cess/royalty, to the state in the form of water use charges at commercial rates for the evaporation loss or consumptive water from the reservoirs. The area occupied by the high head PHES is less than the area occupied by the equivalent battery energy storage system (BESS) housed in a three storied building. High head PHES installation cost (< US$40 per KWh in a day) is less than the cost of land and buildings required to house the equivalent BESS. PHES are more suitable in India where energy and water storage needs are complementary. Unlike the static BESS, the rotating turbo-generator of a PHES will enhance dynamic inertia (GD²) of the grid which contributes to a stable grid to ride through the power disturbances when power generation in the grid is dominated by the static solar PV power. Variable speed PHES plants also deliver the power grid ancillary services. In high head PHES, unlined pressure tunnels/shafts are constructed to the extent feasible for reducing construction cost.

The water reservoir of a PHES is created by building embankment dams wherever required up to the required height and length. The rock required for building the dams is excavated from the reservoir area. Cheaper drilling and blasting method is extensively used deploying state of the art earth moving equipment because huge quantity of rock excavation is required for the construction of the rock-fill dams.

Polavaram right bank PHES:
A 103,000 MW PHES project is under investigation with an upper reservoir, located near Parantapalle hamlet in West Godavari district, with 90 tmcft live storage at 700 m msl full reservoir level (FRL). The turkey-nest type upper reservoir is 18 km long from north to south and 1.1 km wide and its water surface area is 16 km² with 200 m water depth and nearly 90 tmcft live storage. The adjacent Polavaram reservoir at FRL 45 m msl with 194 tmcft gross storage is the lower reservoir as perennial water source. The average water head available is 600 m with a provision to draw 33 tmcft/day from the Polavaram reservoir by the PHES units located in semi open or underground power houses. To run the PHES on daily basis, the lower reservoir is to be kept empty by 33 tmcft below its FRL for holding the water released by PHES in generation mode. Another 33 tmcft is used to compensate the loss of storage capacity in the lower reservoir. This buffer storage is released in to lower reservoir for irrigation, etc. needs once in a year at the end of monsoon year and it is replenished at the earliest from the flood water inflows into the lower reservoir. Also seepage and evaporation losses from the upper reservoir are met from the buffer storage sourced from flood waters and not drawn from the lower reservoir storage. The excess buffer storage maintained in this upper reservoir can also serve up to 24 tmcft for other PHESs in the state which are using Godavari basin water and have no buffer storage of their own (ex: Jalaput PHES). The upper reservoir can be further expanded by 3.5 km length on its south side to enhance the live / buffer storage substantially. The PHES project can produce 412 billion KWh at 4000 hours/year or 12 hours/day operation in generation mode by consuming the surplus power generated from the solar and wind power plants during the day time. This PHES can also moderate the severe floods by utilizing empty volume kept in the lower reservoir or operating in pump mode (maximum 7.63 lakh cusec

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