Power-deficient state banking on thermal plants
Nidhi Singhi, TNN 5 September 2009

LUDHIANA: With the state reeling under rampant power crisis, thermal power plants seem to be providing relief to the electricity department.

According to information, thermal power plants performed exceptionally well, particularly in August, when the demand of electricity seemed to have broken all past records.

Presently, PSEB has three thermal power plants, including Guru Hargobind Thermal Plant, Lehran Mohabbat, Guru Hargobind Singh Super Thermal Plant, Ropar and Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant at Bathinda.

As the state received inadequate rainfall this year, hydel projects could not generate as much energy. Hence, the authorities have to depend upon thermal plants for power generation.

Sources said thermal plants generated the best to capacity from the period ranging April 1 to August 31, so the department could provide partial relief to the residents.

Data collected from the electricity department for the month of August reveals the department could generate 6,892 lakh units at 100% peak load factor from Guru Hargobind Thermal Plant, Lehran Mohabbat.

Similarly, the department generated 44,043 lakh units at 95.19% peak load factor between April 1 and August 31 from Guru Hargobind Singh Super Thermal Plant, Ropar. The total energy generation was 93,375 lakh units in the month of August.

The department could generate 12336.50 lakh units from Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant, Bathinda, while the energy production was around 11,660 lakh units.

PSEB officials said the demand for power had broken all the past records, whereas in the last week of June, the recorded demand was 1,994 lakh units this year. They said the demand had reached 2,022 lakh units in the month of August, whereas the demand was 6,472 megawatt and supply 6,077 megawatt last year.

However, the demand had reached 8,411 megawatt and supply 8,295 megawatt this year.

Discussing the importance of thermal power plants, JS Bedi deputy chief engineer (headquarters) said, "Thermal power plants have helped the department to fulfil the demand of electricity to a large extent. These are also a good option to generate electricity."