24 Jun 2012 Hindustan Times (Chandigarh)
Vishal Rambani

PSPCL blames crisis on northern grid

PATIALA: Failing to keep its promise of a power-cut free summer this year, the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has blamed the northern grid for the present power crisis in the state.

KD Chaudhary, chief managing director (CMD) of PSPCL, said that the northern regional load dispatch centre (NRLDC) was not able to meet its power demand due to the transmission constraints.

Punjab, these days, is facing a deficit of 700 MW of power and has imposed three to seven hours of cuts across the state.

Chaudhary said, “The PSPCL is willing and has adequate resources to arrange additional power. But due to the transmission constraints imposed by the NRLDC, it is helpless to meet the total load demand of 2,150 lakh units (LUs) per day.”

He said due to this transmission constraint, the PSPCL was being forced to impose power cuts. Chaudhary said the state was facing a power deficit of 600 to 700 MW in demand and supply.

“In order to meet this gap, we need to arrange extra power from the exchange on a ‘dayahead’ basis. The NRLDC’s transferable capacity for the flow of power into the state is 5,400 MW. But due to overloading, the state was being allowed to buy 5,100 MW only,” he said.
He cited that on June 21, PSPCL wanted to purchase an additional 190 LUs (750 MW) from the exchange on the ‘dayahead basis’ at Rs 3.84 per unit. But citing transmission constraints, the NRLDC allowed it only 110 LUs (450 MW).

Chaudhary said that as soon as the monsoon arrived, the load on the NRLDC’s system was likely to reduce and the PSPCL would be able to give an uninterrupted power supply to its consumers.

Chaudhary also blamed the sharp increase in the demand of electricity in the state for the power crisis.

He said the demand of power this year had gone up by 20%, “which was not only unprecedented, but also could not have been estimated in advance”.

“The PSPCL had planned to supply up to 2,000 LUs per day whereas the actual demand is 2,150 LU per day, and it is likely to go up further,” he said.

Still there seems to be many a loophole in the PSPCL chief ’s argument as two units of the Bathinda thermal plant and one unit of Ropar thermal plant are non-operational due to technical snags. “These units can generate power up to 450 MW, which is enough to meet the state’s power demand,” said an official.