Floods slash power demand in Punjab; PSPCL shuts 9 thermal units

Incessant rain continued to wreak havoc across Punjab, with flooding reported in more than half a dozen districts. The widespread waterlogging and flood-related disruptions have significantly impacted the state's power consumption.

On Monday, Punjab’s power demand fell to a low of 5,402 MW, with the maximum daytime demand remaining around 6,000 MW—a sharp drop from the usual 12,000 MW typically recorded during this period.

Punjab is in the grip of massive floods, triggered by the swollen Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, and several seasonal rivers.

Former power engineer V K Gupta said, “This time, due to floods, the demand is lower as hundreds of villages are now without power.”

In comparison, the state recorded a maximum demand of 7,974 MW and minimum of 5,641 MW on Sunday, while on Saturday, the maximum demand stood at 9,121 MW, with a minimum of 7,490 MW.

On Monday, PSPCL’s own generation was around 2,800 MW, while drawl from the power grid stood at approximately 3,400 MW.

A total of nine thermal units were shut down, five of them due to low or no demand.

Solar power generation during the day remained below 200 MW, in contrast to over 450 MW on a typical sunny day.

Meanwhile, hydropower generation at Bhakra, Pong, and Ranjit Sagar dams remained at maximum capacity. According to the NRLDC daily report, on Sunday, the Bhakra powerhouses generated 338 lakh units (LU), Ranjit Sagar Dam produced 145.2 LU, and Pong Dam generated 84.6 LU.

The water inflow was also significant: 84,500 cusecs at Pong Dam, 73,700 cusecs at Bhakra, and 39,700 cusecs at Ranjit Sagar Dam.

The water level stood at 1,674 feet at Bhakra, 1,390.6 feet at Pong, and 524.94 metres (1,722 feet) at Ranjit Sagar Dam.