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PSPCL proposes to buy power for Rs 7,776 crore

YOGINDRA MOHAN
Patiala

The power purchase worth Rs 7776 crore, which is 42 per cent of Punjab’s total energy requirement, will cost 38 per cent of the total projected revenue requirement made by Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) for the next financial year. Power purchase will be the major component of energy requirement of Punjab as per projections made by PSPCL for the next financial year. The total revenue requirements submitted by PSPCL for 2012-13 is Rs 20415 crore and power purchases component is Rs 7776 crore.

Sources in PSPCL told Daily Post that the gap between demand and supply is met mainly through power purchases from sources outside the state. PSPCL proposes to meet Punjab’s energy net requirement of 36703 million units (MU) by purchasing net 18917 MU from the central generating stations and other external sources. The major sources from which PSPCL procures power are central generating stations, traders, co-generation plants and banking arrangements.

The gross power purchase quantum has been increasing with every passing year .The actual power purchase was 15460 MU for 2010-11, the revised estimate for current year based on actual purchase for first six months is 17013 MU and projected power purchase for next year is 19682 MU. The power purchase cost for the next year will be Rs 7776.03 crore. The revised power purchase cost for the current financial year is Rs 6099.73 crore whereas the actual power purchase in 2010-11 was worth Rs 5929.39 crore. The total energy requirement in two years has increased from 40909.83 MU to 44637.57 MU, an increase of 3628 MU. During the same period, power purchase has increased by 4242 MU. Net thermal generation is expected to increase from 16776.51 MU to 17374.84 MU based on assumption that one unit of Talwandi Sabo thermal will come on stream in November 2012. Net power purchase for next financial year will be 18917.42 MU comprising of 14420.94 MU under long term power purchase agreements and 4496.48 MU from other sources and short term purchases. It may be mentioned that PSPCL drew 770.36 MU less of the allocated power share from northern grid due to high power purchase component keeping in view the pending elections in the state.