Punjab Newsline
PSEB Engineers Association to Punjab CM: Allow PSEB to execute Gidderwaha Thermal project
VINOD KUMAR GUPTA
Saturday, 20 February 2010
PATIALA: PSEB Engineers Association in a letter to Chief Minister Punjab has sought the execution of Gidderwaha Thermal Project by PSEB and abandons the plan to get it executed through private players.

H S Bedi President of the Association said that though the state government has placed top priority on generation but the entire capacity of around 6500 MW has been planned through private sector. The engineers have been making repeated pleas that some capacity addition must be planned through state sector but nothing has been done so for.

At present PSEB has about 50 percent own generation to meet the maximum demand of 8000-9000 MW. The demand in a single day varies between 2000 to 3000 MW Which is mainly met through Ranjit Sagar Dam Project and states own thermal plants.

When all the new thermal projects in private sector are commissioned PSEBs share would be reduced to 25 percent and this will adversely affect its capabilities to supply power optimally. Private companies have their own schedules and will try top maximize generation during low frequency to earn more.

edi further said that PSEB has a track record of building thermal plants in record time and is operating at very good plant load factors. The denial of execution of thermal projects to PSEB defies any logic.

It may be mentioned had the state government allowed PSEB to construct Goindwal thermal Project it would have commissioned long ago.

The association claimed that funding of project is possible through Power Finance Corporation and state must hand over Gidderwaha Project to PSEB for execution.