Punjab Newsline
Award to Yamunanagar thermal plant mired by controversy

VINOD KUMJAR GUPTA
Sunday, 31 January 2010
CHANDIGARH: The Gold Shield awarded to Yamunanagar Thermal Plant by Ministry of Power in the category for “early completion of project” seems to be mired by controversy since Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission has passed adverse remarks in its tariff order about the delayed commissioning of the project.
The tariff order issued by HREC for 2009-10 on May 15 2009 mentions that “Thermal plant unit number 1 and 2 as reported by HPGCL, are yet to be finally taken over from the EPC contractor pending performance Guarantee test. The Commission has taken seriously note of the fact that earlier date of commercial operation was reported as 1/4/2008 and 15/5/2008 respectively and prior to that the reported dates were 1/12/2007 and 28/2/2008. Now, in response to the objection raised by the intervener HPGCL has stated that these milestones are not date of commercial run (COD), but provisional take over and final takeover. “
HERC tariff order has passed further adverse comments” The Commission is concerned about the poor performance and frequent breakdowns of 2X300 MW thermal projects, Yamunanagar units which were commissioned in financial year 2007-2008. The commissioning dates of thermal unit 1 and 2 have been given as April 14 2008 and June 24 2008 respectively on completion of trial run operations. However, there is abnormal delay in completion of PG tests of these units due to which the units have not been taken over by HPGCL so far. Detailed, report on the reasons for poor performance of these units and abnormal delay in taking over the units may be submitted.
HPGCL official website mentions that LOI for the project was given to Reliance Energy on September 30 2004 and two units were synchronized on November 13 2007 and March 29 2008.The trial runs of units were completed on April 14 2008 and June 24 2008. The date of completion of trial run can not be termed as date of commissioning of units.
The commissioning of a thermal unit is counted from the date of declaration of commercial operation HERC regulations states “Date of Commercial Operation’ (COD) in relation to the unit means the date declared by the generator after demonstrating the Maximum Continuous Rating (MCR) or installed capacity through a successful trail run after notice to the beneficiaries and in relation to the generating station the date of commercial operation means the date of commercial operation of the last unit of block of the generating station”
A senior power utility official said that It is thus established that the gold shield awarded by the Ministry of Power for early completion of Yamunanagar Thermal Project for the year 2008-09 was not based on facts as HERC tariff order has clearly indicated that the commercial operation of units has not been started and still not taken over by HPGCL as the performance guarantee test has not been carried out.
. The Ministry of Power has obviously committed a gross blunder in awarding a gold award to a station for early commissioning for the year 2008-09 when the HERC itself has declared the units incomplete as on 18-5-2009.