Coal stock dwindles, outages loom large

Tribune News Service

Aman Sood

Patiala, March 9

In a warning sign just before the power demand is expected to touch a record high, all thermal power plants in the state, except the privately owned Rajpura plant, do not have adequate coal stock.

Around three months after the coal mine at Pachhwara in Jharkhand became operational, Punjab is still struggling to maintain the minimum coal stock of 31 days, leading to frequent power outages in some parts of the state.

Six-day supply left at gvk plant

• Ropar thermal plant: 11 days
• Lehra Mohabbat thermal plant: 7 days
• Talwandi Sabo thermal plant: 8.7 days
• GVK thermal plant: 5.5 days
• Rajpura thermal plant: 30.9 days

Barring the Nabha thermal plant in Rajpura, all private and state-owned power plants are left with the coal stock for less than 11 days. “Loading and transportation are the key factors behind the low coal stock at various thermal plants in the state,” says a senior official.

The rising power demand has left the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) worried. The demand during January and February was around 15 per cent more than that during the corresponding period last year.

Demand heading north

The power demand in the state during March will be between 8,000 MW and 9,000 MW, an increase of over 1,000 MW over the last year's maximum demand. It is essential that the Punjab Government initiates concrete steps to get maximum coal as power demand is heading north. —VK Gupta, All india power engineers Federation

Officials said the state-run Ropar and Lehra Mohabbat plants had coal only for 11 and seven days, respectively. The stock at Talwandi Sabo and GVK was sufficient only for 8.7 and 5.5 days, respectively. The Rajpura thermal plant has coal for 30.9 days.

“The power demand in the state during March will be between 8,000 MW and 9,000 MW, an increase of over 1,000 MW over the last year’s maximum demand,” says VK Gupta, All India Power Engineers Federation spokesperson.

“It is essential that the Punjab Government initiates concrete steps to get maximum coal as power demand is heading north,” Gupta said.

The PSPCL has filed a petition under Section 23 of the Electricity Act, 2003, seeking regulatory guidance as regards measures to be taken in case of emergency situations during 2023-24. “The hearing on this petition will take place on March 15. It is a customary and mandated permission sought from the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission,” said a senior PSPCL official.

The unrestricted demand of power in Punjab was 14,311 MW last year. This year, it is likely to remain between 15,500 MW and 16,000 MW.

Recently, a sudden spurt in power demand had resulted in power outages in various parts of the state. “We are trying to replenish our coal stocks and are hopeful that we will be able to manage these by the end of March,” said a top PSPCL official.

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