“Enhanced with age” Punjab’s oldest thermal plant working diligently, saving crores of tax payers money

“Enhanced with age” Punjab’s oldest thermal plant working diligently, saving crores of tax payers money

Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ July 27,2025

41 years old Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal Plant (GGSSTP), Rupnagar is still marching ahead with flying colours and breaking previous records in various performance parameters, in spite of shortage of manpower.

At present, GGSSTP, Rupnagar is Punjab’s oldest thermal plant still working with full capacity. The first unit of the plant was commissioned in September, 1984.

The plant is no less than any other government owned thermal plants of its age in pan India. The Gross generation during Financial Year (FY) 24-25 increased 600.69 MU than previous year, which is 15.19 percent higher than FY 23-24 and 28.91 percent higher than FY 22-23. This generation is highest ever after FY 14-15 even when all six units of GGSSTP were running. The Net generation has increased to 547.22 MU than FY 23-24 and 972.19 MU than FY 22-23.

The plant is to still young after 41 years as its plant load factor (PLF) has improved to 61.88 percent during FY 24-25 as compared to FY 23-24 and FY 22-23. PLF achieved during FY 24-25 is highest after FY 13-14.

The Chief Engineer at the Ropar plant, Harish Kumar Sharma, said “Plant availability has increased from 81.68 to 82.66 percent in FY 24-25. Though plant availability is higher in FY 22-23 but units were less operational in FY 22-23 as per directions of state load dispatch centre (SLDC)”.

As per available information, number of power plant trippings has significantly reduced in FY 24-25 which are only 35 numbers in comparison to FY 23-24 when the tripping was 44  and FY 22-23  when the tripping was 58 and number of other outages reduced to 21 numbers during the FY 24-25 in comparison to FY 23-24’s 23 and FY 22-23’s 27. In the first quarter of this FY the overall trippings remained as low as 20 in comparison to first quarter of FY 24-25’s 31 in number.

Sharma added that “after installation of new re-heaters number of boiler tube leakages will reduce in up-coming years. Number of total outage hours has been reduced by 248 hrs i.e. 7.00 percent reduction in time for revival of units during FY 24-25 in comparison to FY 23-24.Specific coal consumption has improved to 0.652 during the FY 24-25 in comparison to FY 23-24 and FY 22-23.”

Sharing an important development, Sharma said” GGSSTP has consumed biomass pellets as per guidelines of central electricity authority (CEA). During the FY 2024-25 CEA has given minimum target of 3 percent burning of biomass pellets. GGSSTP has achieved this target by burning 3.06 percent (94935 MT) of biomass pellets during the year).Station heat rate has improved during the FY 24-25 in comparision to FY 23-24 and FY 22-23”.

Plant has added another feather in its cap due to improved ‘Thermal efficiency’. Thermal efficiency has improved during the FY 24-25 when it was 32.25 percent in comparision to FY 23-24 when it was 30.40 percent  and during FY 22-23 it was 29.93 percent. Thermal efficiency achieved during FY 24-25 is highest value after FY 13-14.

The plant has made another significant improvement by saving Rs 3.80 crores . The Sp. Oil Consumption in Q-1 of FY 25-26  which is reduced to 0.64 ml/kwh in comparison to 1.11 ml/kwh in Q-1 of FY 2024-25 has saved the above mentioned tax payers hard earned money.

Chief Engineer of GGSSTP Harish Kumar Sharma said “with the increase in power demand, the plant run with full capacity and met the expectations of the state government. We are working with less manpower in comparison to last decade when the plant had ample workforce and still meeting the set parameters. In the first quarter of this financial year the plant has generated more power than last year’s first quarter.    ”