Power crisis is staring at Punjab as all three thermal electricity plants of the state have failed to meet the generation target set by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) in October, after the main coal supplier drastically cut down fuel supply to these.
The supplier has also expressed inability to continue sending the fuel after mid-November, citing political agitations at the mine site in Jharkhand.
Anticipating stoppage of coal supply for the state's thermal plants, the Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd (PSPCL) had shut down seven of its 14 units in phases during the last month, leading to a drop in the power output, sources said.
Against the target of 267 and 624 million units, Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant, Bathinda and Guru Hargobind Thermal Plant, Lehra Mohabbat, could generate only 161 and 451 million units respectively. Both plants met only 60% and 70% of their generation targets respectively.
Only Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal Plant, Ropar had performed better by managing to achieve 98% of the CEA target.
Senior PSPCL officials revealed that the problem arose after Panem Coal Mines Ltd, a joint venture of PSPCL and a Kolkata-based company EMTA, drastically reduced coal supply from its Pachwara (central) mine in Pakur district of Jharkhand since the past one year, citing agitations led by state's former chief minister Babulal Marandi.
Officials revealed that while the company had supplied 70 lakh tonnes of coal to Punjab against the approved mining plan of 90 lakh tonnes in 2012-13, coal supply had reduced to a meagre 32 lakh tonnes during the first seven months in 2013-14.
Citing the "adamant attitude" of PSCPL authorities, Panem Coal Mines Ltd authorities had recently sent a letter to the Powercorp, asking it to take charge of the mine after November and urging it to deal directly with the agitating parties at the mine site.
Panem authorities said that coal, currently lying extracted, would be dispatched to Punjab's power plants by mid-November after which, it would be the responsibility of PSPCL to run the mine.
Panem had supplied 2,216 rakes in 2011-12, 1,820 in 2012-13 and 849 rakes till October this year for thermal plants of the state.
On the other hand, authorities maintained that the thermal units had been shut down due to availability of cheap power from other sources. However, officials revealed that PSPCL was purchasing power at higher rates than the cost at which it was being produced by its own plants.
"Average cost of power purchased during October 2013 is Rs 3.6 per unit. However, Lehra plant produces power at Rs 2.2 per unit, Ropar at Rs 2.5 per unit and Bathinda at Rs 2.65 per unit approximately," said a PSPCL official.
Chairman-cum-managing director (CMD) K D Chaudhuri and director (generation) G S Chhabra of PSPCL could not be contacted, despite repeated attempts.
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