The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) is incurring heavy daily losses as state-owned thermal plants remain partially shut due to worker strikes. With reduced generation, the utility is forced to buy costly power from the Indian Energy Exchange (IEX), spending Rs 40-50 crore daily. Officials indicate the state could have saved over Rs 30 crore each day if its thermal units were fully operational.
Costly Market Purchases Amidst Plant Outages
The PSPCL is purchasing power at around Rs 10 per unit during evening and night hours, while cheaper solar power is procured during the day. A PSPCL official noted that scattered rain in parts of the state on Monday provided temporary relief but did not resolve the underlying issue. Five of the 10 units across three state-owned plants are under forced outage. To maintain assured eight-hour supply to the paddy sector, along with industrial and domestic demand, the PSPCL has no option but to rely on expensive market purchases.
Strike Spreads to Multiple Plants
The strike began at the 920-MW Guru Hargobind Thermal Plant (GHTP) in Bathinda and has now spread to the 840-MW Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal Plant. One unit at the GHTP was restored on Monday, adding 161 MW to the grid. On Sunday, the PSPCL bought 611.32 lakh units at Rs 8.25 per unit, costing Rs 50.4 crore. Demand eased slightly on Monday, but purchases remained high due to restricted state generation.
Cost Disparity Between State and Market Power
A senior PSPCL engineer stated that state-owned plants produced power at under Rs 4 per unit, far cheaper than private plants or IEX rates, which often exceeded Rs 10. Punjab’s three thermal plants have a combined capacity of 2,300 MW, but these units supplied only 796 MW on Monday. PSPCL Chairman and Managing Director Basant Garg told The Tribune: “All efforts are being made to ensure farmers get power during the paddy season.”
