Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Patiala, July 11

The maximum power demand in the state has touched over 15,500 MW this year while Punjab has been able to supply only around 13,000 MW. The central power ministry now claims it has “ample power but Punjab does not have the kind of infrastructure to draw more”.

While Punjab has its own generation of about 5,500 MW from various sources, including solar, it can import a maximum of 7,300 MW from the northern grid, with some temporary relief to draw more.

“Under the present circumstances, the state can supply around 12,800 to 13,000 MW. However, despite ample funds available from the Centre to improve transmission infrastructure to draw more power from the central grid, the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) could do little,” said All-India Power Engineers’ Federation spokesperson VK Gupta.

“What is affecting Punjab more is the fact that there is power available for us and at cheaper rate too, but the management has done little to think on those lines and use central funds to improve transmission, which comes with a condition that the power corporation should not be in losses to avail those funds,” Gupta added.

Speaking to the media, the central power ministry has said Punjab did not approach them for more power but only for enhancement of capacity, which was allowed. “It is our Power Secretary who is constantly asking Punjab and willing to help, but for one state, the whole northern grid cannot be compromised. They need to improve their drawing capacity,” Union Power Minister RK Singh told a news channel.

A former chief engineer with the PSPCL said: “It is a colossal administrative and planning failure when it was known in advance that one unit of Talwamdi Sabo is down for more than five months.”

Punjab is witnessing all-time high power demand due to a prolonged dry spell, increase in demand of power from the agricultural sector, reduced availability due to low reservoir levels/reduced generation from hydro power stations and outage of units of the Talwandi Sabo Power Limited, Mansa. “Power is not an issue. Corridor is the problem. We approached them for enhancement of available transfer capability limits. We are using the full corridor and buying power from exchange at very competitive rates. Northern Regional Load Despatch Centre increased our limits,” said PSPCL CMD A Venu Prasad.

The state increased buying power from the power exchange after the transmission capacity was temporarily enhanced by the Government of India by 400 MW, to 7,800 MW. The state’s transmission capacity was 6,400 MW last year, and was increased to 7,400 MW this year.

“On Saturday, the PSPCL relaxed power regulatory measures on general category consumers having sanctioned contract demand up to 1,000 KVA. Industrial consumers have now been allowed to operate up to 100 KVA of load, while the earlier exemption limit was only up to 50 KVA. This shall increase the load on the PSPCL system by about 600 MW,” said Venu Prasad.