E-Paper
Paddy sowing: Power demand shoots up to 14,000 MW in Punjab
Likely to surpass 15,500 MW by June-end as final phase of 8-hour supply to farmers begins on June 21
Punjab witnessed a significant increase in power demand as it crossed the 14,000 MW mark during the third phase of the eight-hour uninterrupted power supply to farmers. At 3 pm on Monday, the power demand peaked at 14,182 MW, just 25 MW short from all-time highest power supply by Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) in the past.
On June 29 last year, Punjab set a record with a maximum power demand of 14,207 MW, surpassing the previous record of 14,056 MW.
The final phase of paddy power supply is set to commence on June 21, and it is anticipated that the maximum power demand will surpass 15,500 MW by the end of June.
On Sunday, the maximum power demand reached 11,997 MW, and the PSPCL supplied 24.46 lakh units of power. Additionally, the PSPCL sold 16.8 lakh units through exchange.
Highest demand and supply are typically observed in the last days of June.
The PSPCL drew over 8,500 MW from the northern grid, while its own gross generation accounted for approximately 5,600 MW. This included 1,150 MW from state-owned thermal generation, 800 MW from hydro generation and 3,200 MW from private generators.
Although all seven available thermal units in the state sector were operating at slightly reduced loads, one Goindwal Sahib GVK unit was experiencing a technical glitch and was non-operational. Comparatively, the power demand during the same period last year ranged between 11,025 MW and 11,347 MW. This year’s maximum power demand has witnessed an increase of around 3,000 MW compared to the previous year.
As for coal stock, the Ropar and Lehra Mohabbat thermal plants have reserves for 27 and 44 days, respectively. The private sector thermal plants in Rajpura have coal stock for 34 days, followed by Talwandi Sabo (6.5 days) and GVK (2.6 days).
The water level in hydro plants’ reservoir is in a better position compared to the period last year. The Bhakra reservoir’s water level stands at 1,577 feet, which is 19.5 feet higher than last year’s level of 1,567.5 feet on the corresponding day. Similarly, the water level at Ranjit Sagar is 511.97 metres, reflecting an increase of over 6.7 metres from last year’s level of 505.2 metres.
“With the backing of CM Bhagwant Mann, the PSPCL has managed to divide the paddy sowing in four phases. This has yielded results as not only are we able to meet higher demand as per last year, but also are able to provide more power to farmers,” said a PSPCL spokesman. The PSPCL said it will easily achieve the power demand up to 15,000 MW this year.
