Punjab: Rising mercury, paddy sowing fuel power demand

PATIALA: Power demand in Punjab has crossed 12,000MW with an increase in temperature and paddy sowing in full swing.
Power supply on Saturday was 2,780 lakh units (LU), with a maximum demand of 12,253MW. The Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd. (PSPCL) is maintaining an eight-hour power supply to tubewells. Thermal generation in the state is around 977 LU per day as all thermal units of Rajpura, Talwandi Sabo and Goindwal Sahib plants in the private sector are running in state sector. All units of Ropar and Lehra Mohabbat plants are also running.
As on Saturday evening, the power demand was 1,183 megawatts, while gross generation was 5568 megawatts. The two units of Ropar thermal plant were generating 398 megawatts of power, while two units at Lehra Mohabbat were chipping in with 390 megawatts.
The state power corporation was drawing 429 megawatts from Ranjit Sagar Dam, while the three major thermal power plants in Punjab by the private sector were together generating a total of 3,685 megawatts of power. The two units of Rajpura thermal plant were operating to full capacity and contributing 1,335 megawatts. The three units of Talwandi Sabo were generating 1854MW. The two 270MW capacity units of Goindwal thermal power plant were generating 496MW. Total hydro generation stood at 933MW.