Punjab Government has signed Fuel Supply Agreements for both Talwandi Sabo Thermal Power Plant (1,980 MW) and Rajpura Thermal Power Plant (1,400 MW) — moving a bit closer to the aim of power-surplus State.
Punjab State Power Corporation limited chairman-cum-managing director (CMD) KD Chaudhri said that the long awaited Fuel Supply Agreements (FSA) between Talwandi Sabo Power limited, a subsidiary of Sterlite Energy limited and Mahanadi Coal Fields limited (MCl) as well as Nabha Power limited which is subsidiary of l&T Power Development limited and is developing Rajpura Thermal Power Plant and South Eastern Coalfields limited (SECl) has been signed.
He said that the FSA for Talwandi Sabo Thermal Plant has been signed for quantity of 7.72 million tonnes a year, which will be made available to the plant from Vasundhra Coal Field Mines, Sambalpur, Orissa and FSA for Rajpura Thermal Plant has been signed for 5.5 million tons per year which will be made available from mines at Raigarh, Bilaspur.
Both the plants would use supercritical technology which helps generate more power for the same quantity of coal and helps reduction in pollution, he said. Chaudhri said that Talwandi Sabo Thermal Plant being set up at Banawali village in Mansa district is expected to start generation by end of November this year and Rajpura Thermal Plant being developed at Nalash village near Rajpura is expected to commission the first unit in the first week of December this year. Chaudhri added that all the power generated by these plants would be supplied to PSPCl.
“Once the power plants start operations, there will be no shortage of power in Punjab and sooner Punjab will be a power surplus state which would help PSPCl to trade power in Energy Exchanges in the country,” he added. Maintaining that the industrial sector is going to benefit the most, he said that continuous power supply coupled with the recently announced new industrial policy will give a boost to the industrial sector and accelerate growth of State.