T’puram: Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has approached Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission seeking ratification of its short-term power purchase arrangements for the period from Sept 1, 2026 to May 15, 2027.The procurement, undertaken through the Union ministry of power’s DEEP (discovery of efficient electricity price) e-bidding portal, was approved by KSEB’s full-time directors on Aug 17. KSEB had also issued a provisional letter of award on Aug 7 as the validity of the bids was due to expire on Aug 9.The power purchase rates discovered through the tender ranged from Rs 6.5/unit to Rs 12.5/unit. The lowest rate was quoted for round-the-clock power in Sept, while the highest rates were recorded for certain peak and early-morning time blocks towards the end of the procurement period.Round-the-clock power was available at around Rs 6.99-Rs 7.1/unit in April 2027. Rates for the 6.30pm-midnight peak-hour block were Rs 9.42/unit in Nov and Dec and Rs 9.49/unit in Jan and Feb. The rate rose to Rs 10.5/unit in March and up to Rs 11/unit in April and May. For the midnight-5am block, rates ranged from Rs 7.7/unit in Jan and Feb to Rs 10.45-10.47/unit in April. Some bids in May were quoted at Rs 12.5/unit.KSEB cited an anticipated power deficit, scheduled maintenance of power generating stations and increased summer demand as reasons for the procurement. It has sought regulatory approval for the additional expenditure and its recovery mechanism.
