GEB8217;s prudent moves

This follows over a week-long visit by a delegation led by Energy Minister Kaushik Patel to France, Sweden and Germany. Board Member Administration S K Nanda, officer N C Shah and the GIPCL managing director accompanied the minister.

The delegation sought technical know-how from France to upgrade and modernise its power plants. It was observed that in Europe, the electricity boards were mere regulatory authorities who decide only the price and the consumer had the option of selecting power supplier.

Patel told reporters in an informal chat on Sunday that the European countries had shown keenness to provide technical assistance and that a survey would be soon undertaken to decide the requirements of the Board.

Highly placed sources told Express Newsline that the Gujarat Industries Power Corporation Limited GIPCL is already in the advanced stage of introducing the circulating fluidised bed boilers. The delegation visited Niece, on the France border where the boiler of 250 MW installed in 1996 was running with 98 per cent efficiency without any shut down since inception.

According to sources, drawback of the conventional boilers is that the heated coal dust is thrown out of the boiler. Sources further said although the burners used in Niece are double in cost as compared to conventional boilers, in the longer run it would be cost effective.

Sources further say, the double insulated lines could help in checking power theft to a great extent as the consumer can be caught very easily. 8220;As the power in the distribution line needs to be shut down to draw power illegally, the Board officer or employee involved in the racket can be easily identified and punished,8221; sources explained.

Indepth study of the materials used by the electricity boards in Europe was also done. Patel also said a meeting will be held in Gandhinagar on December 22 to discuss the Vadodara Municipal Corporation8217;s VMC plea to extend the city limits.