Calcutta, July 21: Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) is the first public sector company to transmit surplus power generated in one captive unit to another in a different state.

It has wheeled 20 MW of power from its 2X60-MW captive units at Durgapur Steel Plant (DSP) in Bengal to Bhilai Steel Plant in Chhattisgarh.

“This was possible due to the provisions of ‘open access in transmission system’ under the Electricity Act, 2003, allowing industries to wheel power between their captive plants in different locations using the inter-regional ties of the national grid,” SAIL sources said.

The captive power plant at Durgapur, installed in 1986, has maintained a generation potential of over 90 per cent of its capacity. However, due to constraints, including contractual obligations, the units were under-utilised.

“Wheeling the surplus power takes care of the unutilised generation capacity of the captive plant,” sources added.

Bhilai Steel Plant requires around 130 MW of power due to its recent increase in output. The plant has a captive unit with a generation capacity of 100 MW.