Power mess in Punjab, Power generation taken a hit during paddy season
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in
This year the power generation in Punjab has taken a hit during the peak paddy season, due to the shutdown of 660 MW unit of Talwandi Sabo Power Limited (TSPL) from March 2021, as one of the reason. Punjab is largely dependent on these IPPs. The farmers are not getting 8 hour power supply, in the ongoing paddy season and they are protesting in the state.
Punjab state power corporation limited (PSPCL) CMD A Venu Prasad had said before the beginning of this year paddy season that “PSPCL is anticipating to meet successfully more than 13000 MW demand during the paddy season. In addition to existing sources at disposal of PSPCL, power arrangements under short term and banking with other states to the tune of 2700 MW have been made for this paddy season.”
Due to the shutdown of Talwandi Sabo Power Limited (TSPL) 660 MW unit, the power generation has already taken a hit. This power is essential to maintain uninterrupted power supply during paddy plantation when the demand goes up to 13500 MW.
The PSPCL will be forced to procure the power at various rates, including at increased rates from the exchange to meet the demand during the current peak paddy season, due to shutdown of units. It’s expected that this will dent the state finances , as to buy power from the sources outside the state the PSPCL has to pay in advance, on daily basis, while in case of sources within the state, power corporation has a long rope to make the payments.
Even 2 units of GVK’s Goindwal sahib power plant is not working, from the last two-three days. The plant has a capacity of 540 MW.
When contacted the Director Generation of PSPCL Er Paramjit Singh, on, as PSPCL paying fixed costs to independent power producers (IPPs) , with the shutdown of TSPL 660 MW unit, for such a long time, he said ”it’s for the first time, that PSPCL is facing such situation, after the establishment of private plants in the state. He confirmed that PSPCL is not going to make any payment to the TSPL, for the closed unit, as no electricity is generated.”
As per TSPL spokesperson “one unit of 660 MW has gone for repair. In March we shut down the plant for annual overhauling and later found some major technical issue. So, we had sent that unit for repair and expected to get the repaired unit by July end and it will operational in the first week of August, if it comes by July end.”
Till now the PSPCL has been able to meet the power demand of the state by procuring power from various sources including the state-owned thermals, hydro and the IPPs. The PSPCL has been generating ,purchasing from own thermal plants, from the private power plants (IPPs) and the rest of the power demand was sourced through hydro, solar and by purchasing power from outside the state to meet the power demand of the state.
In Punjab, state owned thermal plants have a combined capacity of 1760 MW with GGSSTP Ropar having 840 MW and GHTP Lehra Mohabbat having 920 MW. Three private plants have a combined capacity of 3920 MW with TSPL at Mansa having 1980 MW , NPL at Rajpura having 1400 MW and GVK at Goindwal sahib having 540 MW.
PSPCL has to run its hydro plants at full capacity, which is fast depleting the water reserves in the dams. PSPCL gets 1160.35 MW from its own hydro projects.
According to the power experts, operating thermal power plants within the state is also essential for maintaining grid stability and keeping the voltage at the substations under control and the state cannot sustain power supply without generating power within the state.
June 27,2021
