FACTS ABOUT POWER SECTOR IN KERALA

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Electricity in Kerala

  • The first mini hydroelectric power plant in Kerala was built by Kanan Devan Hills Plantations Company (1906) at Munnar, with an installed capacity of 200 KW.
  • Electricity Department was formed in Kerala in 1933.
  • First Hydro Electric Power Project in Kerala is Pallivasal Hydro Electric Project (1940).
  • The second power station in kerala is Sengulam (1954).
  • 300 MW Sabarigiri Project in 1966 and 780 MW Idukki in 1976 are milestones in the endeavor of power development.

Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB)

  • KSEB was established on 31st March 1957 as per the Electricity (Supply) Act, 1948.
  • KSEB is a public sector organization under the Government of Kerala.
  • First Chairman of KSEB is K P Sreedharan Nair. The Chairman and the Members are the Supreme Governing Body.
  • Generation, Transmission and Distribution of electricity is vested with KSEB.
  • State Electricity Consultative Council was constituted in 1958.
  • Other major power plants are Kayamkulam thermal power plant of NTPC with an installed capacity of 359.6 MW, BSES Kerala Power Ltd., Kochi with an installed capacity of 157 MW and the 20.436 MW plant of KPCL, Kasaragod.
  • The transmission sector of KSEB comprises of two zones : North and South. The North zone headquarters is at Kozhikode and South zone headquarters is at Thiruvananthapuram.
  • KSEB distributes power in all districts of Kerala except for the Thrissur Municipal Corporation and Munnar (Kannan Devan Hills).
  • Distribution Wing is split into three zones i.e. South, Central and North.
  • Four types of distribution are Domestic, non-domestic, agricultural and LT industrial.

The Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission

  • It was constituted as per the Electricity Regulatory Commissions Act, 1998. It is a quasi - judicial body.
  • Its mission is to encourage competition, efficiency and financial system in the Power Industry, to control the ppp method of the distribution licensees for auction, distribution and deliver of power and to decide the tariff for power generation, transmission and current supply for wholesale, bulk or retail.

Kerala Electricity Ombudsman

  • It is an appellate authority.
  • Its mission is resolving the problems and grievances of electricity related service of consumers.

Consumer Grievance Redressal Forums

  • All the distribution licensees in the State including KSEB have set up their own Consumer Grievance Redressal Forums (CGRF) .
  • The Electricity Act 2003 came into effect from 10th June 2003.
  • Solar Energy is the main source of renewable energy.
  • ANERT: Agency for Non-Conventional Energy and Rural Technology. ANERT has been contributing significantly to the development and exploitation of New and Renewable Energy sources of the state.
  • Solar thermal and Solar photovoltaic programmes are implemented by ANERT.
  • First wind farm in Kerala is Kanjikode, Palakkad District.

Hydro Electric Projects of Kerala

IDUKKI HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT (780 MW)

  • It is the biggest hydrolectric Project in Kerala. Here Dam positioned amid the two mountains - Kuravanmala (had an altitude of 839 m) and Kurathimala (had an altitude of 925 m). It is built on the Periyar River. It was commissioned on 4th October 1975. Canada Government aided with long term loans and grants.
  • The Longest Underground Power Station in India is Moolamattom.
  • First Arch Dam in India is Idukki Dam. It is the highest dam of its kind in the world.
  • Largest and Highest Gravity Dam in Kerala is Cheruthony.

SABARIGIRI HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT (335MW)

  • It is commissioned in 1967.
  • It is located on the Pamba & Kakki rivers in the Moozhiyar Dense Forest of Pathanamthitta.
  • The Dam Height is 110 m.
  • The Dam Length is 336 m.
  • It is the second largest hydel power station in the state.

IDAMALAYAR HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT (75MW)

  • It is a Multi-purpose concrete gravity darn located on the Idamalayar River (Ernakulam Dist.).
  • The Dam Height is 91 m. and Length is 373 m.
  • It is commissioned in 1987.

SHOLAYAR HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT (54 MW)

  • It is commissioned in 1966.
  • Two Sholayar named dams are there, one in Tamilnadu and the other in Kerala.
  • Kerala's Sholayar is commonly known locally as Chalakkudy Dam.
  • Sholayar Dam (Hydro Electric Dams) which is built in Chalakkudy river.

PALLIVASAL HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT (37.5MW)

  • It is commissioned in 1939.
  • It is built in Mudirampuzha river.
  • It was established during the reign of Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma.

KUTTIYADI HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT (225MW)

  • It is a Masonry gravity dam.
  • It is located near Vadakara, Kozhikode district.
  • It started functioning in 1972.
  • It is the first hydro electric project in the Malabar Region.

PANNIYAR HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT (30MW)

  • It was started in 1963.
  • It is built across Panniyar, a tributary of Muthirapuzha river.

NERIAMANGALAM HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT (77.65 MW)

  • It has 4 units, the first unit was commissioned in 1961 and the last in 2008.
  • It utilises the tail waters of Chengulam power station and Panniyar power station and excess catchment of Mudirampuzha river below Munnar.

LOWER PERIYAR HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT (180MW)

  • It is located at Kothamangalam in ldukki District.
  • It has 3 units. The first unit was commissioned in 1997.
  • It envisages utilisation of the tail waters from the existing Neriamangalam power station and the spill from Kallarkutty head works.

PERINGALKUTHU HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT (48MW)

  • It is completed in 1957.
  • It is built across Chalakudi river in Thrissur District.

CHENGULAM HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT (48MW)

  • It is situated at about 9 K.M down stream of Pallivasal Project in Muthirapuzha River.
  • It started functioning in 1951.

KAKKAD HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT (50 MW)

  • Project has two concrete gravity dams, namely Moozhiyar and Veluthodu.
  • Moozhiyar and Veluthodu streams are the tributaries of Pamba River. The power house is located in Pathanamthitta District.
  • It is commissioned in 1999.

KALLADA HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT (15 MW)

  • It is located in the Kallada village of Kollam district in Kerala.
  • It is commissioned in 1994. It has an approved and installed capacity of 15 MW.

MALANKARA HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT (10.5 MW)

  • It is located at the Malankara dam of Karikode village in the Thodupuzha taluk of Idukki district.
  • The power project was commissioned in 1994 with an installed capacity of 10.5 Megawatt.

Thermal Projects in Kerala

Brahmapuram Diesel Power Plant (Kochi)

  • It generates a maximum power of 106.6 MW.
  • It is the first diesel power generating station of KSEB.
  • It is commissioned in 1999.

Kozhikode Diesel Power Project at Nallalam (128MW)

  • It is the second diesel power generating station of KSEB.

Kayamkulam Power Plant

  • The project has started its commercial operations in 1999.
  • It is the project of the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC).
  • First naphtha based plant.
  • The plant has three units - two gas turbines and one steam turbine.