Tata Power Chief Transmission Nilesh Kane briefs on ₹15,000 crore investment plan on Mumbai network

[00:00:00]Uh, say we are doing lot many project outside Mumbai also, but our focus area is obviously Mumbai. And historically we are present in the Mumbai and that's why I told you the focus will be on Mumbai to strengthen the network transmission network as well as distribution network.

[00:00:15]And rather we are spending around 15,000 crore in next 5 years to strengthen our 110 kV upgradation to 220 kV and 400 kV network ring, which will be, you know, the milestone in Mumbai to give the best of you know, the strongness towards, you know, the power reliability and the availability of the increasing load in that area.

[00:00:34]>> So, it's like recently what we have witnessed like the Tata Power has bagged the Raptor power transmission project, which is around of 521 crores. Uh, annual charge uh It's like how does this amount uh can means like uh make bring make a big change in the >> which project you are talking about?

[00:00:59]>> Uh, right uh >> Rapti.

[00:01:00]>> Right.

[00:01:00]>> So, this is the Rapti project. Uh, the investment is around 5,000 crore. It will be in Karnataka. We have recently won that and it will be developing 400 kV network in Tumkur in Karnataka near Bangalore. So, we are spending 5 5,000 crore there and then uh the total, you know, the money what we are spending in developing the transmission network in Karnataka will be recovered under TBCB.

[00:01:24]And it will give the boost for the trans Karnataka transmission system.

[00:01:29]>> This is on the quick fixes, climate climate issues, monsoon issues that we have that you also already mentioned in the press conference. So, the related with the monsoon preparedness, uh is this just uh yearly banded? You because we people always have many times seen that uh people claim companies claim that uh we are very well prepared for the monsoon, but sometimes down the line we don't see the actual uh preparedness on on the ground. So, are you actually spending on long-term climate-proofing for the city's grid?

[00:02:07]>> Absolutely. You know, uh for and in the monsoon preparedness, every year is a new year and new learning. And uh we prepare. The first and foremost thing is the safety of, you know, the customers because our network is in the open. Our network is on the road. Uh so, we make sure that all our networks are, you know, covered, you know, all cable lanes, all the trenches are closed, you know, and uh all the feeder pillars and the uh electrical system which is uh in the near vicinity of, you know, uh the people is foolproof such that no electric shock happen. Uh thirdly, you know, we make sure that appropriate power supply arrangement is been done, redundancy has been ensured such that, you know, during monsoon if something goes wrong and the cable fault happens, you know, the customer should not be affected. So, appropriate redundant power supply has also been made. The low-lying area where generally water accumulates and people may reach late and, you know, the customer may have get affected, you know, because of the uh non-availability of the power supply and all. Uh so, we make sure that even the boats are made engines in the low-lying area. Thirdly, the areas where, you know, the water accumulation happens, we have deployed more than 100 pumps such that the moment water starts accumulating, immediately pump starts and the water get, you know, discharged from that place such that, you know, the customer will not get affected. Customer safety is being appropriately managed.

[00:03:28]>> Uh looking at the mystical power consumption demand which you already mentioned, uh it's like your current efficiency for daily power output is around 1877 MW, uh which is 25% of the Mumbai power Mumbai power demand. And uh the peak demand for Mumbai this year was 4642 MW, and you expect that to it may rise by 40% uh in >> In the next 5 years.

[00:03:56]>> in the next 5 years. So, how are you going to tackle all this power demand supply?

[00:04:01]>> So, power demand supply as I mentioned, we have appropriate plan for the power requirement in next 5 years. The growth in the power demand as well as the consumption from the customer and addition of the new customers like data center. We have appropriately, you know, the arranged the power from outside which is the green power, the solar plants, the wind plants, you know, the hybrid plants and hydropower plant. So, we have an approval of more than 500 MW which is being tied up and the power will come over a period of time. As well, you know, right now our demand is 1150 and we have tie up of 1850. So, we have an additional tie ups in place such that we are managing the power well to meet the demand as and when it is required.

[00:04:43]>> Now, coming back to the competition competition aspect. Uh There are there are there are various discounts that in Mumbai that are operating and they are going hard after Mumbai's premier consumers. What is your immediate play to stop them from eating your market share?

[00:05:02]>> So, eating market share or retaining the customer, obviously it is a challenge and we have made sure that over a period of time by giving the best of the services, value-added services, giving the competitive tariff and, you know, giving and helping them out of, you know, the business. For example, our many of the customers, all their engineers and the technicians are being trained by Tata Power for the safety and maintenance. As well as we are giving them the value-added services such that they will optimize the bill. We help them, you know, to increase their green portfolio. We help them to get the best of open access from the market and all.

[00:05:37]So, we developed a very loyal and the long-term and deeper relationship with our customers such that they will continue with us and, you know, historically the customers who are continuing with us, you know, they are continuing to work with us. Rather, we look forward because of the best services provided by the Tata Power, more customer will add in our portfolio.

[00:05:56]>> You asked a question at the press conference which you all answered that that the dependency on the the dependency on coal for production of electricity is around you mentioned that is around 2029 and after that you will think. So, why 2029 if you are means like looking after the green field production of green energy production? Means like why delay till 2029?

[00:06:22]>> So, 20 it's a regulated business and you know, all the power procurement requirement is been approved by the commission. So, commission has approved our you know, the coal base plant up to 2029.

[00:06:33]So, after 2029, we need to evaluate the total load requirement support and the complete power purchase portfolio.

[00:06:41]Accordingly, we'll reach out to the commission and then the commission considers and appropriately we will take a call on that. But, dependency on coal that we are reducing over a period of time by strengthening you know, the renewable power availability from the market, renewable power availability from outside the Mumbai and having you know, the initiatives like pump hydro as well as the battery energy storage system.

[00:07:05]>> You mentioned with the little bit of battery energy storage system, you plan to increase it from 100 to 200 MW. Apart from that means like you also mentioned that your Tata Power is planning to increase the their production or the or the transmission of green energy from 37 to 40%.

[00:07:26]So, how do are you planning to do all these kind of things?

[00:07:29]>> See, we have tie up with the hybrid power including the renewable that is means solar power and the wind power.

[00:07:36]And with the battery storage, we will be more comfortable because it will make available round the clock electricity and green electricity to us. So, slowly our tie-up and our dependency on, you know, the embedded generation we are reducing to optimize, you know, the power electricity cost for the customer tariff of a competitive tariff to the customers and all. So, we are trying to have a low-cost power portfolio for the customers of Mumbai.

[00:08:04]Which includes, obviously, the renewable power predominantly because it is a cheaper power vis-a-vis the conventional.

[00:08:10]>> Now, there's a there are two last question on the two questions. After that, Mr. Gadkari, we will conclude this.

[00:08:18]One question that that comes is like on the smart meters. And which is which you mentioned that uh you are planning uh that the smart meter startup power is going going to make this available to around 8 lakh consumers in Mumbai.

[00:08:38]What is the timeline?

[00:08:40]Uh how are you planning to do this? And it's like how much money are going to are you going to spend on this?

[00:08:47]>> Say we have 8 lakh customers and it is increasing. One, every new customer is getting a smart meter. We already have installed 4.5 lakh smart meters. Rest smart meters we are planning to complete in next two financial year. Hopefully, 1 and 1/2 years to 2 years we will be completing that. And, you know, the complete smart meter system including the meter we are spending around 500 crore rupees. We have started that from 2021. So, hopefully by 2027 we will be completing that and every consumer in Mumbai will get a smart meter.

[00:09:19]>> Uh This is the last question that I'm going to ask.

[00:09:24]What's your future outlook or expansion plan that you see for Tata Power in the next next 5 years which also includes the targeted amount of budget allocation you are planning for transmission, production, distribution of electricity across MMR.

[00:09:41]>> See, across MMR, as I as I mentioned, right now we have a license area in Mumbai where we are spending around 300 crores on distribution to expand the network and give the best reliable power supply to the distribution customers. Regarding transmission, we are there up to Badlapur, Thane, Kalyan, Panvel.

[00:10:03]So, in all this area we are expanding including Mumbai 400 kV ring and we have a plan of 15,000 crore rupees in next 5 years to strengthen the transmission network and we'll continue to do so.