PSPCL finds new buyers of winter power, sales rise three-fold over 2016-17

PATIALA: Subjected to severe criticism for its failure to use power generated by private power plants (technically called Independent Power Plants), even as it pays huge fixed costs to these, the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) showed a marked improvement in power sold in 2017-18, especially in winters. At 1,218 million units of electricity, the utility sold around four-times the previous fiscal’s (2016-17) sale figure of 361 MUs. Most of this power is drawn from IPPs, by asking them to run plant in winters.

“Last fiscal, there was more than three-fold increase in sale of power to other states and we also got better rates. In 2016-17, the average rate was Rs 2.98 per unit. Last fiscal, we sold power at ₹3.68 per unit,” said A Venu Prasad, chairman-cum-managing director, PSPCL.

Since the opening of three IPPs in the state — L&T Rajpura (1,400 MW), Talwandi Sabo (1,980 MW) and GVK Goindwal (540 MW), Punjab has to bear ₹2,700 crore fixed cost of plants, if the PSPCL fails to draw power as per the declared capacity of IPPs. Hence, since 2016, the PSPCL had been making efforts to reduce this cost by selling power in winters.

Prasad added that the PSPCL had laid impetus on finding new buyers of power during winters, when demand in the state is down, but the utility still pays fixed cost. “This has been a double benefit. We not only saved fixed cost by drawing power from private plants, we also earned some money by selling to other states,” the CMD added.

He added that the utility saw ₹600 crore of earnings, of which₹450 crore came from direct selling of power and ₹150 crore from savings of cutting fixed costs by running the plant in winters.

PSPCL AND PSTCL GET DIRECTORS

The Punjab government has appointed Jatinder Kumar Goyal as director (finance) in the PSPCL. He will replace SC Arora, who was working as part of an ad hoc arrangement, after completion of his term. Goyal, at present, was working in the same capacity in the Punjab State Power Transmission Limited (PSTCL).

Ajay Kumar Kapur has been appointed the new director (technical) of PSTCL. Though the name of Anil Kapilesh was at the first position on the selection list, the chief minister’s office gave nod to Kapur’s name for the director (technical) post. The announcements of the name of director (generation) of PSPCL is still awaited. It has been learnt that no name has been shortlisted for the post of the CMD.