PSEB engineers want supercritical power plant at Bathinda in public sector
Megha Mann
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, August 18
Condemning the proposed closure of the Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant (GNDTP) and suggesting the setting up of a supercritical power plant in Bathinda, the PSEB Engineers Association today said vested interests were working behind it.

In a statement issued here today, the association said it apprehended that vested interests were eyeing the 1,700 acres of prime land of the GNDTP and misleading the state government to close the plant.

With the decision to closedown GNDTP, there is a move to establish private-sector monopoly in power generation, the association alleged, adding that already all the new thermal power plants in the state are being constructed in the private sector and not even a single thermal power plant is being constructed or expanded under the state sector.

The association suggested that the land available at GNDTP might be utilised to install new 500/660 MW supercritical technology units under the state sector. The engineers have decided to oppose the proposed closure of the GNDTP and said the cost of the power from this plant was comparable or even less than the upcoming new super-critical plants. With the closure of the plant, not only public money will be wasted, but also many people will lose their jobs.

"On the one hand, large amount of funds are being spent on the renovation and modernisation (R&M) for extending the life of this plant by another 15 to 20 years and for improving the performance and solid particulate matter (SPM) ash discharged from its chimneys and on the other hand, its closure is being planned," they said.

"The PSPCL has already spent Rs 183 crore on the R&M of the GNDTP units I and II from 2004 to 2006. Pollution from chimneys of these units after renovation and modernisation is well within the permissible limit of 150 mg/m3 set by the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB)," said the spokesperson.

Contract for R&M of units 3 and 4, which includes augmentation of unit capacity from 110 MW to 120 MW at the total cost of Rs 470 crore was awarded to the Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited (BHEL) in 2006. The BHEL has already provided 80 per cent material for the R&M of the units and it has even been paid Rs 285 crore. The R&M work on unit 3 is in progress and is likely to be over by November this year, while work on unit IV is slated to begin after October.

After the R&M, solid particulate matter of all the chimneys will be within limits. Moreover, the available modern techniques may be utilised to reduce the pollution level of the existing units further, if required, pointed out the association.