PSPCL meets record demand of 14,000 MW

PATIALA : With paddy sowing in full swing in Punjab, Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd. (PSPCL) on Monday for the first time met the record maximum power demand of 14,070 MW in the state without any shortage.

It’s almost 1,000 MW more than the last year’s peak demand. Last year, PSPCL had successfully met the demand of 13,148 MW during the paddy season in the month of July. Now, the power demand has increased almost 20 percent, while the peak demand is expected in the months of July and August.

The power demand in the state has been rising for the last four days and hovering over 13,000 MW during day time. PSPCL supplied a record 3,102 lakh units on Sunday with a maximum demand of 13,267 MW. As the Centre enhanced the limit of bringing power from outside through the power grid to 8,500 MW, the PSPCL has been able to meet the rising demand, as per official data.

At the time when maximum power demand was met in the afternoon, the state’s scheduled drawl was 8,304 MW and the actual supply from the northern grid was 8,537 MW and it was overdrawing 233 MW. The power supply from sources within the state was 5,528 MW.

State thermal units were supplying 1,339 MW, while Independent Power Plants (IPPS) were supplying 2,791 MW, as per the data. Twelve out of 15 thermal units were operating on Monday. All the four units of Ropar thermal, and three available units at Lehra Mohabatt are generating power. In the private sector, both units at Rajpura thermal, two out of three at Talwandi Sabo, and 1 GVK unit are operating. Talwandi Sabo unit was shut down Monday morning due to a boiler problem.