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PSPCL hears no word from state govt on Centre’s appeal to revive Bathinda plant
PSPCL chief managing director A Venu Prasad said the process to dismantle four units of GNDTP is underway and e-auctioning to disassemble the power generation facility will be held on August 20 as per the schedule.
A week after the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) expressed interest in reviving the defunct Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant (GNDTP) as a non-conventional fuel facility, the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has not received any communication from the state government on reviewing its decision to dismantle the Bathinda-based unit.
PSPCL chief managing director A Venu Prasad said the process to dismantle four units of GNDTP is underway and e-auctioning to disassemble the power generation facility will be held on August 20 as per the schedule.
“It was a state cabinet decision to scrap the plant as it was no longer economically viable to run it. The PSPCL has not received any communiqué from PMO on the possibility to run it on unconventional fuel. In fact, Punjab is solar power surplus and biomass energy plant can be set up at any place,” said Prasad.
A team of state government technocrats attended a webinar on July 24 to discuss the possibilities of converting one unit of the plant as a biomass facility corporation officials said.
PSPCL director (generation) Jatinder Goyal said, “The state has planned a mega pharmaceutical industry park at the site and finance minister Manpreet Badal has even met the Union ministeron this. The coal-run plant was closed after it was found that re-operationalising it on conventional or non-conventional fuels was not economically viable. Power demand in Punjab increases only for four months of summers to meet requirement mainly for the agriculture sector. For the rest of the year, the state produces more power to cater to all sectors. Therefore, it is not wise to invest more on a plant with a little utilization.”
Opposition parties like the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) besides employees of state electricity department and farmer unions have been protesting against the decision to wind up the plant that was set up in 1974.
The PSPCL board of directors in August last year had recommended to the state government to upgrade the plant infrastructure to start alternative energy generation projects.
Manpreet Badal, who has been under fire of the opposition for pushing the plant closure to establish an industrial hub in his assembly segment, was unavailable for comments.
