First unit of Mansa thermal plant by 2012
SP Sharma
Tribune News Service

Banawala (Mansa), August 29
About 20,000 engineers and labourers are working round-the-clock to commission the first unit of the 2,640-MW supercritical thermal power plant being built here by November 2012.

The plant being built by Talwandi Sabo Power Ltd (TSPL) would have four units of 660 MW each and would meet power shortage in the state to a great extent.

All four units are expected to be operational by the end of 2013.

The project is coming up amidst sand dunes that were now being turned green by the TSPL. The company claims that the plant would be the most environment-friendly project in Punjab as its supercritical technology would be pollution free.

The plant is being constructed by a Chinese company on turnkey basis as engineering, procurement and construction project. The daily requirement of about 30,000 metric tonnes of coal to keep the generation going would be supplied by two coal companies from Orissa.A TSPL spokesperson said all major milestones had been achieved on or before time.

On completion, the project would supply power to Punjab for 25 years. It would be one of the largest Greenfield power project in the state, he claimed.

Initially, the plant was being built for generating 1980 MW electricity, but the government has now decided to sanction an additional unit of 660 MW with a view to meet the power shortage in the state.

The TSPL is fully owned subsidiary of the Sterlite Energy Ltd - a subsidiary of the Vedanta group.