PATIALA:  PSEB Engineers Association has demanded that PSEB should take up departmentally a 3x660 MW load centre thermal stations in Punjab and joint venture project with NTPC having a capacity of 2x660 MW to meet the future energy demands.

Punjab Government has drawn an ambitious capacity addition plan of through setting up of four new thermal stations to add 7300 MW of power in the grid. PSEB engineers feel that it would be highly risky for the Government to depend entirely upon private sector for capacity addition to meet future requirements.

HS Bedi President of the Association said that the capacity addition in Punjab in the last decade has been inadequate to meet the load growth of 8 to 10 percent per annum which requires an annual addition capacity of 700 MW every year. The actual restricted power supply availability has increased 32 billion units in year 2004-05 to 40.5 billion units in year 2007-08. The demand during this period has increased from 34.5 billion units in 2004-05 to 44.5 billion units in 2007-08.

Admit Singh Patron of Association quoted from the McKinsey report “Powering India- The road to 2017” that state that the performance of the state sector depends on progress made by the state Government to improve the financial viability of state owned distribution companies and develop new projects. Thus it is the primary duty of state up three 660 Mw thermal projects in the state sector for which state should give budgetary support of 20 % and further give guarantee for drawing loans from the market.

The Association also demanded that the state Government and PSEB should finalise a joint venture with NTPC for two 660 MW projects. The state and board must initiate proposal with Nuclear Power Corporation for 2x 2000 MW nuclear power plant in the Punjab.

Further PSEB Engineers urges the Punjab Government to execute and finalise the “Government to support capacity addition, Singh said.

PSEB spent Rs. 6015 crores on power purchases last year which comes out to be 43 percent of its  total annual revenue requirements of Rs. 13856 crores. The increasing trend of power purchases is going to increase every year and high cost power purchase is no alternative to capacity addition.

PSEB should take Coal transport agreement” with Ministry of Railways so that coal requirements of thermal plants is met fully. The existing railway system would not be in a position to support new thermal capacity addition being undertaken in Punjab. The construction of dedicated railway freight corridor must be ensured to match the construction schedules of new thermal projects.