PSPCL urged to acquire thermal power plant of supercritical technology

Tribune News Service

Patiala, April 25

The Punjab Power Engineers’ Association has asked the PSPCL management to consider acquiring a thermal power plant of supercritical technology.

During a meeting with the management, members of the association asked it to acquire a thermal plant of supercritical technology since it would enable use of cheaper indigenous coal, which was abundantly available in Punjab’s Pachwara central coal mine. 

The mine’s reserves are estimated to be above 450 million tonne. The present coal consumption is only around 6 million tonne for running the state-owned thermal plants.

Bhupinder Singh and Abhiraj S Randhawa, president and secretary of the association, stressed that the proposed 1,320-MW thermal power project at Mukerian did not take off due to the fact that it was nearly impossible to acquire land for the project; Punjab had to 

pay a huge amount of fixed charges (about Rs 2,500 crore) to private thermal plants. These charges could be saved by acquiring a thermal plant of supercritical technology. Besides, it would create job avenues for the state’s youth. 

The association urged the management for forming a high-powered committee of experts from the fields of generation, purchase and finance wings for giving suggestions to prevent the burden of fixed charges, which would help reduce the electricity tariff to the extent of 50 paise per unit.