Punjab aims surplus power in 2 years

Punjab is hopeful that its three power plants in various stages of construction would bring power surplus by adding 3,920 Mw in the next two years.

The state government believes that the commissioning of these power projects in 2013-14 would alow it to sell surplus power to power deficit states across the country.

The installed power generation of the state was 7,035.35 Mw as on March 31, 2011, and the peak unrestricted demand is about 9,399 Mw which is likely to rise to 10,009 Mw in the next two years, a shortfall of 25 per cent of the peak demand.

Moreover, the power shortage in the state is growing at the rate of 10 per cent.

Work is going on in full-swing at the 1,980 Mw plant at Talwandi Sabo, 540 Mw at Goindwal Sahib and 1,400 Mw AT Rajpura.

These plants are being developed by private companies, namely Sterlite, GVK and Larsen & Toubro respectively. All the units of these three power plants would become functional from May 2013 to May 2014.

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said that 1,860 Mw would be added in the first phase in 2013 and 2,060 Mw would be further added in in the second phase in 2014.

Badal had further said efforts were afoot to tap hydro-power potential in the state, and, with the completion of Shahpur Kandi, having capacity of 206 Mega Watt in 2015, and, Mukerian Hydel Project with the capacity of 18 Mega Watt, the power scenario in state would further improve.

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