Awarded despite adverse remarks
Kiran Deep
Tribune News Service

Yamunanagar, February 1
Eyebrows have been raised over the award given to the 600 MW Yamunanagar-based Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram Thermal Plant by the Union Ministry of Power for early completion of the project.

Despite the fact the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC) had passed adverse remarks in its tariff order about the delayed commissioning of the thermal project, Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde honoured the thermal plant on January 29 at a function in New Delhi. Sources said the commissioning of a thermal unit was counted from the date of declaration of the commercial operation.

The power project was delayed due to non-completion of all tests required for the smooth functioning of its units in time. The two units of 300 MW each were projected as complete in 2008.

However, these were not completed till mid of 2009.

It’s an irony that the project, which took more time in completion than the stipulated period, has been awarded the national award for early completion of the project.

“The tariff order issued by the HREC on May 15, 2009, for 2009-10 mentioned that the thermal plant unit No. 1 and No. 2, as reported by the HPGCL, is yet to be taken over from the EPC contractor pending performance guarantee test,” sources said.

“The commission has taken a serious note of the fact that the earlier date of commercial operation was reported as April 1, 2008, and May 15, 2008, respectively, and prior to that the reported dates were December 1, 2007, and February 28, 2008. Now, in response to the objection raised by the HREC, the HPGCL has stated that these milestones are not the dates of commercial run (COD), but provisional take over and final take over,” sources added.

The HERC tariff order further passed an adverse comment that the commission was concerned about the poor performance and frequent breakdowns of 2X300 MW thermal projects, Yamunanagar units which were commissioned in 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 was an abnormal delay in completion of PG tests of these units due to which the units had not been taken over by the HPGCL so far, sources said.

A detailed report on the reasons for poor performance of these units and abnormal delay in taking over the units may have been submitted, sources added.

However, Chief Engineer of the thermal plant Sushil Bansal said the award was given to the plant as per the Central Electricity Authority norms and was justified.