Punjab State power utility — Punjab State Power Corporation limited (PSPCl) — plea seeking permission to import 1.2 million tonne of coal involving “additional financial liability” of Rs505 crore has not gone down well with the state power regulator.
The Punjab State Electricity Commission (PSERC) has not admitted the PSPCl’s petition on the grounds that the same was “not in the manner provided in the stated and applicable law and regulations”. “The petition is not maintainable and therefore, not admitted,” read the order.
PSPCl, popularly known as Powercom, had sought the approval regarding import of coal for its thermal power stations. Powercom had worked out the requirement of imported coal as 1.2 million tonne for a period of one year which would involve additional financial liability of Rs505 crore. It had cited short supply of coal by Panem Coal Mines limited and Monnet Daniels Coal Washeries limited to its thermal power units in the state.
PSPCl had faced critical coal stock supplies at its three thermal power units — lehra Mohabbat, Ropar and Bathinda — which have combine power generation capacity of 2,640 MW (mega watt). In its petition, the PSPCl had pointed out that the Union Ministries of Power and Coal while discussing critical coal stock situation of PSPCl’s power units in a meeting held on August 30, had asked Punjab to take up “necessary initiatives for import of coal”, so as to augment coal supplies to their thermal stations.
On October 7, when power regulator took up PSPCl’s petition for admission, it had observed that the petition did not mention any provision of law or regulations under which the same was maintainable. Then, PSPCl filed additional submissions on October 22, saying that the issue involved additional cost due to the import of coal, which shall have impact on the generation cost and tariff determination.