Availing the advantage of low prices of power at Power exchange, the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has purchased 302 megawatt (MW) of power from power exchange at the rate Rs 2.22 per unit with a total quantity of 70.22 lakh units on August 1, thisyear.
Sharing the information, PSPCL chairman-cum-managing director A Venu Prasad on Monday said that whenever, opportunity arises, PSPCL is purchasing power at cheaper rates in its endeavour to reduce cost of supply for its consumers.
Giving details of power purchase from open market, Prasad informed that PSPCL has procured 355 million units (MUs) of power from the open market at the rate of Rs 3.06 per unit from onset of paddy season to June 30 this year, while during July, power purchase of 503 MUs has been made at the rate of Rs 3.24 per unit.
“The arrival of monsoon, coupled with efficient power procurement arrangements, has now resulted in a comfortable power supply position in the State,” he added.
Prasad said that the PSPCL has procured huge quantity of power from the Power Exchange “due to failure of Talwandi Sabo Power Limited (TSPL), Mansa, in the paddy season...The TSPL remained out for continuous three days in July month. Presently, only two units of Talwandi Sabo Power Limited are operational. These factors have caused a huge power shortage in Punjab,” he said.
“To guard the commercial aspect, PSPCL has also enhanced the available transfer capability (ATC) limit to 7700 MW to facilitate more power purchase from various sources located outside the State. This has encouraged PSPCL in reducing overall purchase cost by 30 to 40 paise in the year 2021-22,” he said.
The present peak demand of power in the State has been reduced from 14,000 MW plus to 10,100 MWs on Sunday at 8.15 pm. As a result of reduced demand, all four units of state-run GH Thermal Plant at Lehra Mohabbat and GGSS Thermal plant at Ropar and two units of private GVK Thermal Plant at Goindwal Sahib remained closed.