Three new thermal plants to be operational by next Baisakhi
overview

All three thermal plants will be operational by next year

Talwandi Sabo Power Plant will become one of the largest thermal plant of the country

Three plants are being constructed at a combined cost of Rs 22,000 crore
DP correspondent

Talwandi Sabo

Determined to make Punjab power surplus state, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday announced that the largest ever thermal plant (1980 megawatt), which is being constructed here at a cost of Rs 11,000 crore will be made operational next year.

Talking to mediapersons here after visiting the plant site, Badal said he will inaugurate the plant on April 13, 2013 (Baisakhi). Goindwal and Rajpura power plants will also be operational by next year, making 2013 a ‘powerful year’ in the history of Punjab, he added.

While, Talwandi Sabo Power Plant is being constructed at the cost of Rs 11,000 crore, the 540 MW Sri Goindwal Sahib Thermal Plant is being constructed at the cost of Rs 3,000 crore and 1,400 MW Rajpura plant at the cost of Rs 8,000 crore.

Badal accompanied by Power Secretary Anirudh Tiwari and Powercom Chairman KD Chaudhary reached the project site to inspect the progress of 1,980 MW Thermal Plant. The power plant management informed that 7,000 engineers and workers are working day and night to commission the project by November, 2012. Almost 70 per cent of the work has been completed.

They also informed that Power Grid Corporation of India Limited has been ordered to erect 400KV Talwandi Sabo-Nakodar, 400KV Talwandi Sabo-Muktsar, 400KV Talwandi Sabo-Mastewal and 400KV Talwandi Sabo-Bala Chak Transmission lines for evacuation of power.

Speaking on the expansion plan of the project, Project General Manager (GM) Chetan Srivastav informed that the Company had already signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government for setting up an additional 660 MW capacity plant at the cost of Rs 3,600 crore. He said with the expansion of the plant, it will become one of the

largest thermal plant of the country producing 2,640 MW power that has been set up at the cost of Rs 14,600 crore.

The GM informed that the

construction of hostel, cooling tower shell, chimney shell, wagon tippler foundation, comprehensive water pump house super-structure, raw water pump house structure, raw water reservoir and railway siding, pipe rack erection, crusher house, network control panel erection, central control panel erection and air compressor erection are on the verge of completion.

The first unit of project, he said, will be operational in November, 2012 whereas the other three units will be fully operational in June 2013. He informed that an

agreement has already been signed with Mahanadi Coal Fields Limited, Sambalpur for supply of 7.72 millon tonnes of coal per annum for the plant.

Expressing satisfaction over the construction of the project, Badal asked secretary power and Powercom chairman to weekly monitor the progress of the

project. He said, “It is imperative for the project authorities to stick to the schedule as they are answerable to the people of Punjab for any delay.”
Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal inspecting the construction work of Talwandi Sabo Power Plant on Wendesday. DP photo