Kannur: Kerala's electricity department is facing a transformer crisis with 255 transformers burning out due to overload in April alone. This marks the first instance in the department's history of such a massive number of transformers getting burnt due to excessive load. Over the financial year 2023-24, a staggering 1100 transformers met a similar fate due to various reasons, averaging 85 per month.

Each 100 kVA transformer, vital for power distribution, costs upwards of Rs 2.50 lakhs, resulting in a substantial loss exceeding Rs 6 crore in April alone. Typically serving 600-700 domestic users, the absence of these transformers poses significant challenges for the electricity supply across the state.

With the peak load soaring from 5024 MW to 5500 MW this April compared to the previous year, transformers struggled to cope with the increasing demand, leading to overheating and subsequent failure. The strain on the 11 kV feeders, with a capacity of three MW, worsened the situation, causing temporary shutdowns of substations.

Despite placing an order for 1198 transformers from the Kerala Electrical and Allied Engineering Company Limited (KEL) for the fiscal year 2023-24, the department is yet to receive a single unit. Subsequent attempts with another agency only yielded 200 transformers, further exacerbating the scarcity.

The absence of spare transformers to replace the failed ones aggravate the crisis, with damaged units undergoing repair while operational transformers bear a load exceeding 80 percent of their capacity. This delay in a setback and poses significant challenges to the stability of the state's electricity supply.