Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has confirmed the supply of one lakh tonnes coal for the trial run of the first unit (700 MW) of Rajpura Thermal Power Plant, slated to be made operational during January 2014.
The approval came after affirming the readiness of the l&T Thermal Power Plant (TPP) at Rajpura to commence power generation.
Not long ago, a similar confirmation of readiness had been made by the CEA for the trial run of the first unit (660 MW) of the Sterlite group’s power plant near Talwandi Sabo, to be made operational in September 2013.
“Chief Engineer, operation monitoring division of CEA has asked the Coal India limited (CIl) to supply one lakh tonnes coal to the Rajpura and Talwandi Sabo thermal power plants in order to carry out pre-commissioning or synchronisation activities, coal for carpeting, trial run etc,” said a spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s Office.
He added, on the personal intervention of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Union Ministry of Power has also acceded to his request by issuing a notification asking Coal India limited to sign Fuel Supply Agreements (FSA) to include the unit-I of Talwandi Sabo thermal power plant and unit-I of Rajpura thermal power plant for 2013-14 besides Talwandi Sabo’s unit-II and III, and Rajpura’s unit-II for 2014-15.
Earlier, the Ministry of Power or CEA had not included fuel linkage and signing of FSA for Talwandi Sabo’s unit-II and III; and Rajpura’s unit-II in the year 2014-15 and had pushed them to 2015-16. The landmark decision assumes paramount significance at this crucial juncture especially in the wake of ever increasing demand of power in the State.
To tide over the gulf between the demand and supply of power, the Centre’s directive to the CIl for assured supply of coal to these plants would not only pave a way for the timely power generation to augment its supply on one hand, but also silence the Opposition for spreading malicious propaganda against the State Government’s concerted efforts to make Punjab self-reliant in the power sector.
With the assured supply of coal to the upcoming thermal plants in Punjab, the State Government was zeroing in to achieve its ultimate goal of generating additional power of 3,920 MW, spokesperson added.