The Fact News Service
Chandigarh, December 29
The year 2024 began with a historic move by the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government to purchase the Goindwal Power Plant from GVK Power at a cost of Rs. 1080 crore. This acquisition marked the first instance of a state government purchasing a private power plant in India. Renamed after Sri Guru Amardas Ji, the thermal plant’s load factor was increased from 35 percent to 77 percent during this year, effectively doubling its power generation capacity. This 540 MW thermal plant, acquired at an economical rate of Rs. 2 crore per MW, is projected to save the state over Rs. 350 crore annually.
Revealing this in a press communique issued here, Punjab Power and Public Works Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO, while presenting the year-ending report of the Punjab Power Department, highlighted the pivotal role played by the government in revolutionizing the state’s power sector. He said that the Pachhwara coal mine, operational since December 2022, has been instrumental in supplying coal to the state’s thermal plants. From April 1, 2024, a total of 50.84 lakh metric tons of coal was delivered through 1277 rakes, at a cost Rs. 11 crore per 1 lakh metric ton cheaper than that of Coal India Limited. This efficient coal procurement resulted in savings of Rs. 593 crore. Since the commencement of operations in 2022 with the concrete efforts of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government, the mine has provided 93.87 lakh metric tons of coal, yielding total savings of Rs. 1000 crore, he added.
“In line with its commitment to sustainable energy, the Punjab Government has made significant investments in clean energy. From April 1 to November 30, 2024, the department signed purchase agreements for 1454 MW of solar power at an average rate of Rs. 2.52 to Rs. 2.53 per unit. Since taking office in March 2022, the government has secured agreements for 3704 MW of solar power, with rates ranging from Rs. 2.33 to Rs. 2.76 per unit”, said Harbhajan Singh ETO while adding, “Additionally, 430 MW of rooftop solar installations have been completed across the state. The government also signed agreements for 900 MW of hybrid power (solar and wind energy) with rates between Rs. 3.22 and Rs. 3.28 per unit”.
Power Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO said that, thanks to these initiatives, the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has successfully provided 600 units of free electricity every two months (or 300 units per month) to the state’s domestic consumers. He highlighted that 90 percent of domestic consumers in the state have received zero electricity bills.
Revealing the initiatives taken to meet the increasing power demand and improve distribution, the Power Minister said that the transmission capacity from the National Grid was enhanced from 9000 MW to 9800 MW in 2024, a significant increase from 7100 MW in 2022. The state commissioned 5 new 66 KV Sub-stations and expanded the capacity of 14 power transformers, adding 780 MW to the 66 KV Transmission. Along with this, 27 km long 66 KV Transmission lines were connected and the capacity of 28 power transformers of 400KV, 220KV or 132KV was increased or new transformers were installed, which resulted in a total increase of 2591 MVA in this transmission capacity. He said that 131 circuit kilometers of transmission lines were connected to 400KV, 220KV or 132KV sub-stations. He said that a new 400KV sub-station was commissioned in Ropar, and the 132KV sub-station in Gurdaspur was upgraded to 220KV capacity.
“These efforts of the Power Department’s efforts bore fruit on June 29, 2024, when it met a maximum demand of 16058 MW without imposing power cuts on industrial, residential, or commercial sectors, while ensuring more than 8 hours of uninterrupted power supply to the agricultural sector”, said Harbhajan Singh ETO.
The Power Minister expressed pride in the department’s achievements, highlighting the recruitment of 1351 youth in PSPCL and PSTCL since April 2024. “An additional 1288 posts are being filled, with the recruitment process expected to conclude by March 2025”, said Harbhajan Singh ETO while adding that the Power Department has so for done recruitments for a total of 6498 posts in PSPCL and PSTCL since March 2022 to strengthen the man power of the Power Department to better utilize its developing infrastructure.
Power Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO said that Rs. 9,563 crore has been sanctioned under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) for further improving the power distribution structure, out of which 60 percent grant will be received from the Government of India. He expressed confidence that the Power Department will continue to set new benchmarks in 2025, ensuring better and uninterrupted power supply to the people of Punjab.
