State faces severe power crisis
Another unit at Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant non-functional
Chander Parkash/TNS

Bathinda, May 13
Punjab could be in for a severe power crisis during the coming paddy season, which is to start next month, as another unit at the Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant (GNDTP) became non-functional late last night.

Crunch Situation

* Generating transformer at unit No. 1, 2 burnt
* Unit No. 3 has been shut for a year for renovation and modernisation
* The only working unit - unit No. 4 - has completed its lifespan

The generating transformer of unit No. 1 of the GNDTP got burnt late last night. Unit No. 2 at the GNDTP had already stopped generating electricity after its generating transformer (GT) got burnt on May 5. Unit No. 3 has been shut for the past over one year for renovation and modernisation (R&M) exercise.

Not only this, an unit of Guru Hargobind Thermal Plant (GHTP), Lehra Mohabat, having capacity of 250 MW, was shut in the first week of this month for annual maintenance exercise that is likely to be completed by the end of May.

Official sources said that within a week, the production at GNDTP has come down by about 50 lakh units daily.

The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) had been suffering a huge loss of revenue on account of non-production of electricity by its three units, each of 110 MW capacity.

Sources said that unit No. 4 of the GNDTP, which alone is producing electricity at the moment, had outlived its scheduled lifespan and could develop any snag anytime because its R&M exercise hasn’t been carried out yet.

Sources added that the GT of unit No. 2 at GNDTP got burnt on May 5 despite the fact that various parts were changed a few weeks ago at the cost of lakhs of rupees after it developed a snag in the third week of April. It had also remained shut for the month of March for its annual maintenance.

Interestingly, unit No. 1 had also remained shut for more than a year for its R&M exercise a few years ago. Its GT is about 35 years old and had outlived its life.

K Lal, Chief Engineer, GNDTP, said that unit No. 2 was expected to start production by May 22. The plant authorities are also trying to procure a GT for unit No. 1 at the earliest.