March 18: The power-starved state is all set to get additional 500 Mega Watt electricity from the Vijayawada thermal station by this month end. This would ease the power supply situation to a large extent as nearly 12 million units of electricity are being added to the system, which has been stretched to the limits in recent months. It is also welcome news to the Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy government, which is getting ready to face elections. The turbine tests of the thermal power station were completed on Wednesday and the trial run would start from Thursday. "It would be commissioned on March 28 and production would start on April 1," said a top APGenco official. In the first month the plant would generate 300 to 350 MW power which would be stepped up to 500 MW in the following month: The unit is constructed on super critical technology which would help bring down variable costs during the operation period. The project cost Rs 2,100 crore out of which 80 per cent has been raised as the loan from Rural Electrification Corporation and the remaining by the way of equity from AP Genco. As such, the power supply situation in the State is slowly stabilising with the end of Rabi season in many districts. The scenario would become much better by the end of March. "About 18 per cent of the demand would come down once the farm activity comes to a close," said the Genco officials. At present, the daily power demand is hovering between 208 to 212 million units forcing load shedding for industries and domestic sectors. APGenco is also planning to commission the Bhupala-palli Thermal Station by October, which would add another 500 Mega Watt to the Andhra Pradesh state grid.