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Chandigarh, November 30

Punjab Power and Public Works Minister Harbhajan Singh announced on Saturday that the Punjab State Power Corporation (PSPCL) has achieved substantial savings of approximately Rs 1,000 crore due to the procurement of cheaper coal from the Pachwara coal mine.  In a press communiqué issued here, Power Minister Harbhajan Singh  said that the initiative launched by the Punjab government under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann in December 2022, has proven to be a cost-effective alternative to sourcing coal from Coal India Limited. He said that the Pachwara coal mine was inoperative since 2015.

Giving details of the financial benefits of obtaining coal from the Pachwara coal mine, Power Minister Harbhajan Singh said that the coal from Pachwara is Rs 11 crore cheaper per 1 lakh metric ton compared to obtaining coal from Coal India Limited. “To date, PSPCL has procured 92 lakh metric tons of coal from Pachwara, transported through a total of 2,400 rakes”, he added.

The Power Minister said that as a result of this initiative, the thermal plants in Punjab are no longer facing any coal shortages. He said that the Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal Power Plant in Ropar has a coal stock sufficient for 35 days, the Sri Guru Hargobind Thermal Plant in Lehra Mohabbat has a 26-day stock, and the Sri Guru Amardas Thermal Power Plant in Goindwal Sahib has a 28-day stock.

Further emphasizing the state’s advancements in the power sector, Minister Harbhajan Singh highlighted the acquisition of the 540 MW GVK Thermal Plant, now known as the Sri Guru Amardas Thermal Plant in Goindwal Sahib. “Purchased at a rate of ₹2 crore per MW, this plant alone is generating annual savings of ₹350 crore. Since the acquisition, the plant’s power generation capacity, measured by the plant load factor, has doubled, increasing from 35 percent to 77 percent”, said the Power Minister.

Power Minister Harbhajan Singh attributed these significant achievements to the proactive initiatives of the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann. He said that such measures have enabled the state government to provide 300 units of free electricity per month to domestic consumers across the state.