13 Oct 2012 Hindustan Times (Chandigarh)
First unit of Talwandi Sabo plant by Baisakhi: Sukhbir SAYS AIMING AT MAKING STATE THE CHEAPEST SOURCE OF ELECTRICITY IN THE COUNTRY, PROPOSES TO EXPORT POWER TO PAKISTAN
CHANDIGARH: The upcoming thermal power plants at Rajpura and Talwandi Sabo may still be struggling to get assured coal supply as the fuel supply agreements are yet to be signed, but deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal claimed on Friday that the first unit of 660 MW at Talwandi Sabo would be commissioned on Baisakhi (April 13).

Addressing a conference on “Power reforms for north- Target 24/7 electricity for all”, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industries, he said Punjab would become a power-surplus state in the next five years.

He also mooted a proposal to export power to Pakistan. “After becoming power-surplus, we are aiming at becoming the cheapest source of power in the country and would sell electricity to other states and, if allowed by the union government, export it to Pakistan as well. I am going to Pakistan shortly and would explore the possibility of exporting power,” said the deputy CM.

He said the Prime Minister’s office had assured the Punjab government that it would make arrangements to supply coal for the thermal plants as per the state’s total requirement.
Coal India Ltd had recently announced to cut down the state’s coal share to 50%, because of which the signing of fuel supply agreements has been delayed.

Sukhbir said that by the end of 2013, the state would generate 14,487 MW of power as against 6,591 MW of power produced in 2007. “By the end of next year, Punjab would have its own generation capacity of 8,816 MW, apart from 355 MW share from central sector projects, 1,033 MW share from ultra mega projects, 647 MW share from Damodar valley project and 436 MW from NRSE projects,” he said.

Sukhbir said the government was working on setting up thermal plants at Hoshiarpur and the coal pithead outside Punjab. On renewable energy, Sukhbir said Punjab was focusing on generating 500 MW of power from biomass with a financial benefit of Rs 4,000 per acre to farmers.