‘Duration of power restrictions remains uncertain; battery storage will be increased’

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Electricity Minister Sunny Joseph said that it is uncertain how long power restrictions will have to continue in the state. Low rainfall and rising atmospheric temperatures have led to a sharp increase in the consumption of electricity, said the minister while talking to a channel Thursday morning.

‘We have an obligation to return the electricity purchased under the exchange deal. In addition, the power received from the central pool has also decreased. It is not correct to say that this is a failure of governance. There were restrictions even during the tenure of the Left government. We will increase battery storage,’ said the minister.

Meantime, the minister had mentioned the other day that the state is facing an emergency situation in which power cuts have become unavoidable. He pointed out that the Central Government has issued warnings to states regarding the nationwide power crisis.

The situation has been worsened by the obligation to return 530 MW of electricity borrowed from other states for consumption during March and April under an exchange deal by September 15. The minister also said that the cancellation of long-term power purchase agreements signed during the tenure of former power minister Aryadan Muhammed, under which electricity was available at Rs 4.29 per unit, has contributed to the present crisis.

Another major challenge, according to the minister, is the limited capacity to store solar power generated during the daytime for use at night.