Facing criticism over the shortage of coal leading to closing down some of the thermal plants’ units, the Punjab State Power Corporation limited (PSPCl) on Thursday came out with a clarification claiming that there was “no shortage of coal as is being projected”.
PSPCl chairman-cum-managing director KD Chaudhri, in an official Press statement, informed that there was no shortage of coal as was being projected. “Few units of PSPCl thermal plants have been backed down due to more availability of power from the new or upcoming thermal plant of Rajpura and other plants in Central sector such as UMPP Mundra in Gujarat and Sasan in Madhya Pradesh,” he stated.
He maintained that power from these plants was cheaper which led to obvious decision of backing down own thermal plants and buying power at lower cost which is purely a commercial decision. “Moreover, by backing down own units, coal is also being conserved to meet with higher demand of power during paddy season,” he added.
Giving details of the coal availability, Chaudhri said that at Ropar’s Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal Plant, coal stock of 4,50,121 metric tonne (MT), sufficient for 24 days is available, at lehra Mohabat’s Guru Hargobind Thermal Plant, coal stock of 1,61,080 MT sufficient for 12 days is available and at Bathinda’s Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant, coal stock of 92,956 MT sufficient for 17 days is available and regular coal rakes are coming at all the three
thermal plants.
Chaudhri, clarifying the issues with PANEM — the coal supplying company, said that parleys were on and these would be resolved in next few days. “To undertake maintenance of transmission and distribution system for coming paddy or summer season, normal shut downs are being taken. Apart from that, no scheduled or unscheduled power cuts have been imposed on any category of consumers,” he clarified.
Elucidating, he said, for instance, demand for power supply on Wednesday was around 1,200 lakh units and the same was met with 336 lUs of own power generation, 138 lUs from Rajpura Thermal Plant, 115 lUs from BBMB, 549 lUs from Central sector, 30 lUs of Purchase and 32 lUs from Open Access.
“The short-term power purchase from exchange is being arranged depending upon the demand on day to day basis...During last week’s short term power purchase, PSPCl purchased six lUs on May 1, 20 lUs on May 2, 43 lUS on May 3, 17 lUs on May 4, and 30 lUs on May 5,”
he said.
Assuring the consumers that PSPCl had made sufficient arrangements of power for ensuing paddy or summer season, Chaudhri said that first unit of Rajpura Thermal Plant was running to its full capacity and soon second unit would start power generation.
“Talwandi Sabo Thermal Power Plant is also going to start commercial production of power shortly, which shall make power position quite comfortable,” he added.