The shutdown of five thermal power units at three state-owned plants is costing the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) an estimated ₹11-12 crore extra every day, as the utility is forced to buy costly power from the open market to meet soaring demand during the ongoing paddy transplantation season.
Since Friday, five of Punjab’s 10 state-owned thermal power units remain non-operational due to technical faults, resulting in a daily generation loss of around 1,200 MW.
The affected units include three at Lehra Mohabbat and one each at Ropar and Goindwal Sahib thermal plants.
The price of power
On Sunday alone, PSPCL purchased 611.32 lakh units of electricity at ₹8.25 per unit, incurring an expenditure of about ₹50.4 crore. Additionally, it procured another 31.25 lakh units at ₹8.10 per unit, costing around ₹2.53 crore, according to official data.
Officials revealed that the utility was purchasing electricity at rates touching nearly ₹10 per unit during evening and night hours when demand peaked. During the daytime, PSPCL was procuring relatively cheaper solar power to reduce costs.
In comparison, electricity generated from state-owned thermal plants costs nearly ₹3.50 per unit. This means every unit purchased from the market costs the corporation roughly ₹6.50 more, significantly increasing its daily expenditure.
Experts estimate that every 210 MW thermal unit remaining shut results in nearly ₹1.9 crore in additional daily power purchase costs. Considering the total non-operational capacity of around 1,410 MW, PSPCL could be spending an additional ₹11-12 crore every day to bridge the supply gap, and maintain supply to domestic, commercial and agricultural consumers.
Paddy season, summer heat stretch supply
The shutdowns came at a time when Punjab’s daily power demand crossed 15,700 MW and is expected to rise further due to intense heat and increasing agricultural load.
The peak power demand on Monday touched 15,706 MW, which PSPCL met by drawing 10,700 MW from the national grid, along with state’s own generation of around 4,900 MW, including nearly 3,000 MW from Independent Power Producers (IPPs). Solar power and hydel stations also pitched in during peak hours.
Water availability for hydel generation remains comfortable. The water level at Bhakra reservoir stood at 1,595.96 feet on Monday, significantly higher than last year’s 1,560.34 feet. Similarly, the water level at Ranjit Sagar Dam was recorded at 506.15 metres, compared with 505.56 metres during the corresponding period last year.
PSPCL chairman-cum-managing director (CMD) Basant Garg said, “Our first priority is to provide uninterrupted power supply to people, especially farmers during paddy transplantation, even if we have to buy power at higher prices.”
Relief in sight as workers call off strike
The outages were compounded by a strike by contractual workers at state-owned thermal plants, which delayed repair and maintenance work on the affected units. However, the workers called off their agitation on Monday after PSPCL agreed to their demands.
PSPCL CMD Basant Garg said the employees would return to work immediately and the non-functional units at Lehra Mohabbat, Ropar and Goindwal Sahib thermal plants were expected to be restored within the next 24 to 48 hours.
