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As power demand peaks, another 540MW private plant conks out
Power engineers see this as yet another instance of the laxity of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) in dealing with Independent Power Plants (IPPs)
Patiala Even as power demand is at its peak due to the ongoing paddy season, another 540MW has gone out of the system with GVK thermal plant at Goindwal (Tarn Taran district) non-operational since midnight on Friday. Another 660MW generation facility at Talwandi Sabo Power Plant (TSPL) has been non-operational since March.
Power engineers see this as yet another instance of the laxity of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) in dealing with Independent Power Plants (IPPs). For the record, IIPs are now producing only 2,560MW of power against their installed capacity of 3,920MW.
“For the entire year, consumers bear the fixed cost expense of these plants for not drawing power. When power from these plants is actually needed, some go out of operation. We have already demanded revision of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) in favour of consumers,” engineers have been maintaining this stance for a long time. They add that the PPAs were so badly drafted that there was no penal provision for outages in peak season. On Friday, the PSEB Engineer Association had also accused the PSPCL management of bringing about a power crisis in the state.
For now, the PSPCL is meeting rising power demand by mainly procuring from the grid and making other arrangements.
Paramjit Singh, director (generation), PSPCL said, “We hope that GVK will be operational by Saturday midnight. The PSPCL management has directed TSPL to operationalise its unit at the earliest.”
PSPCL SUPPLIES RECORD 3,029 LAKH UNITS
Even with the generation from private power plants hit, PSPCL achieved record power supply of 3,029 lakh units on June 25 (Friday). PSPCL chairman and managing director A Venu Prasad said, “The previous record of power supply was 3,018 lakh units on July 2, 2020. PSPCL had purchased 216 lakh units from own sources and another 929MW from power exchange to meet demand. We are prepared to supply up to 13,700MW to the state.”
He added that over 8-hour power supply was ensured to Amritsar, Sangrur, Bathinda and Faridkot districts. He appealed to PSPCL’s agitating employees to end their protest against staff and material shortage, etc, in the larger interest of farmers and power consumers, especially as the covid-19 pandemic raged on.
