Power plants in Haryana are in a more comfortable position than Punjab when it comes to coal stock, essential to generating electricity in the coal-powered plants of the region.
The three state-run plants in Haryana have approximately 14.4 days of coal stock, including 9.3 days of coal stock in PTPS, 25.3 days in RGTPP and 6.6 days in DCRTP, said sources. Sources added the private thermal plant in Jhajjar had 12 days of coal stock, whereas the position of private plants in Punjab was more critical.
On March 27, Punjab’s state-run plants GGSSTP in Ropar and GHTP in Lehra Mohabbat had coal stock sufficient for 14.6 and 15.2 days, respectively. The three private plants of TSPL, NPL and GVK had coal stocks of 0.8 days, 8.9 days and one day, respectively. “Punjab had a demand of around 14,500 MW during paddy season last year. This year, the demand is expected to cross 16,000 MW,” said a PSPCL official.
Punjab on Sunday recorded a peak demand of 7,487 MW of power and minimum demand of 5,299 MW. The state’s own generation was 539.83 lakh units (LUs), of which 317.4 LUs came from own thermal generation, 64.7 LUs from own hydro generation, 69.5 LUs as share from BBMB, and 88.08 LUs from NRSE IPPs. Also, 418.63 LUs were supplied from three IPPs of Punjab, including 152.41 LUs from NPL in Rajpura, 223.23 LUs from TSPL, and 42.99 LUs from GVK.
Power to agriculture sector was provided for 5-10 hours.
Meanwhile, in Punjab, power and energy minister Harbhajan Singh ETO has said on Monday that coal will be made available to the state’s thermal-electricity plants even if the government has to pay a higher price.
Amid the pre-paddy season’s coal crisis and a resultant spike in the import price of this fuel, the minister had a closed-door meeting with officials of the state’s power and transmission corporations. Claiming that the government will keep public interest in mind while taking any decision, he said: “We are preparing for the summer’s electricity crisis to make sure that paddy farmers and other consumers don’t have to face power cuts.”
On the issue of pre-paid electricity meters that the central government has reportedly asked the Punjab government to install, the minister said: “Electricity is a concurrent list subject and both the state as well as the Centre can make a law over it. We are looking into the provisions that are beneficial to the Punjab consumers. AAP wants to fulfil its poll promise of free power up to 300 units.
