Patiala, October 9
The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) will now write to the power regulator to “ensure strict action against erring private plants” that failed to maintain the minimum three-four weeks’ coal stock, leading to power shortage in the state.
Despite paying hundreds of crores of rupees as fixed charges to private players, Punjab has failed on power front again within four months — first during the beginning of paddy season and now at its fag end.
With five thermal units being forced to shut down, the state is on the edge. Punjab, along with majority of the coal-based thermal plants in the country, is facing irregular coal supply and is unable to replenish its already low stock. Senior PSPCL officials confirmed that though coal was arriving, it was way less than what was required to keep the plants running at full capacity.
However, experts in the power sector confirmed that since the beginning of the paddy season, coal stock was lower than previous years. “Blaming monsoon is wrong as it is an annual phenomenon and coal is always short during the post-monsoon period. The PSPCL failed to ensure that they stock over 35-40 days’ coal in all its state and private thermal plants, leading to sudden shortage,” they said.
“Even Coal India Limited says that if thermal power generation plants had maintained a minimum of 22-day fuel stock prescribed by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), the low coal situation at thermal power projects could have been averted. If Punjab had stocked more coal, it would have been able to sell power during this period at higher rates,” said a former chief engineer with the PSPCL. PSPCL CMD A Venu Prasad told The Tribune that they would “write to the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission for strict action against power plants that did not maintain coal stock”.
Energy crisis again
Though the PSPCL blames private thermal plants for low coal stocks, its own state-owned plants don’t have enough stock
“The PSPCL should have ensured more coal stock at state thermal plants as compared to previous years,” said a former PSPCL official
PSPCL CMD A Venu Prasad says low stock at state-owned plants is due to irregular supply and higher cost of storage
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