INDIA: NTPC, CSEB sign agreement for Barh STPP

State-run power generation company NTPC Ltd on Tuesday signed an agreement with Chhattisgarh State Electricity Board to sell electricity from its Barh Super Thermal Power Station (stage II).

The power purchase agreement (PPA) was signed by NTPC's Executive Director (Commercial) I J Kapoor and CSEB's Secretary V K Jain, the company said in a statement.

The stage II of the power plant comprises of two 660 MW units and would benefit the states in northern, western and eastern region.

INDIA: MSEDCL reduces power cuts in state
People in the state are in for slight relief this summer as the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) has reduced power cuts by a few hours in rural and urban areas.

Outages in rural areas have been reduced by three-and- half hours and by one-and-half hours in urban areas.

This follows the availability of an additional 800 MW to 1,000 MW of power, a dip in demand and pre-monsoon showers in parts of the state, a MSEDCL release on Wednesday.

There will be load shedding for 10-and-half hours to 12 hours in rural areas, five to six-and-half hours in smaller cities and three to five hours and 15 minutes in major cities.

Villages and cities have been grouped in four categories - A, B, C and D - for the load shedding protocol and power cuts will be reduced to 10-and-half hours, 11 hours, 11-and- half hours and 12 hours for the four categories respectively.

On the same basis, load shedding in major cities will be three hours, three hours and 45 minutes, four-and-half hours, and five hours and 15 minutes respectively for the four categories whereas it was from four-and-half hours to six hours earlier.

In smaller cities, power cuts will be for five hours, five-and-half hours, six hours and six-and-half hours respectively for the A, B, C and D categories while it was for six-and-half hours to eight hours earlier.