The good dam levels at the beginning of the season, good rains and optimum operation of all hydel plants by the state power corporation have helped in bettering the previous record of the power generation from the hydel plants, registering 69 percent increase from the previous year.
In the current fiscal up to the month of August, the total generation from the PSPCL hydel power plants is 2,588.5 million units (MUs) in comparison to 1,533 MUs in the previous financial year (2018-19) during the corresponding period which is 1055 MUs — which is 69 percent more, said the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) spokesperson.
The spokesperson said that the previous highest generation from April to August was in the financial year of 2014-15 was 2,519 MUs which was also very good year from hydel generation point of view.
Four units of 150 mega watt (MW) each at Ranjit Sagar Dam (RSD) have provided much required flexibility and reliability to the power grid, said the spokesperson, adding that it has helped the Corporation save money by cutting down the thermal generation.
The spokesperson said that the maximum generation during a single day of Ranjit Sagar Dam was 149.02 lakh units (LUs), that is Plant Load Factor (PLF) of 103 percent on August 28, 2019, which is more than the maximum daily generation in 2018-19 — 133.79 LUs on September 24, 2018, and 141.25 LUs on August 10, 2017, in 2017-18.
Similarly, maximum daily generation of Shanan Power House was 26.61 LUs (101 percent PLF) on May 13 this year, which is more than the maximum daily generation in 2018-19 — 26.42 LUs (more than 100 percent PLF) on July 24, 2018, and 26.19 LUs on August 9, 2017, in 2017-18.
The Upper Bari Doab Canal (UBDC) Hydro Electric Power House has also crossed its single day maximum generation by generating 19.56 LUs continuously on July 29, August 1 and August 6 to August 16 this year.
“Not only daily generation records have been surpassed, all hydel projects have generated record energy for the period from April to August during corresponding period in the previous highest generation year (2014-15) and the previous year (2018-19),” said the spokesperson.
The spokesperson further said that considering the “good” level of water in the dams at the end of August, “the generation in the remaining seven months is also going to be good”.
The level of water in Bhakra, Pong and Ranjit Sagar Dam as on August 31, 2019, in comparison to last year is 1675.85 feet, 1385.00 feet, and 523.80 metres, against 1640.80 feet, 1371.62 feet, and 520.77 metres, respectively.