Talwandi Sabo plant unit shuts down when power demand surpasses 16,078 MW
Talwandi Sabo: Punjab is experiencing a power crisis due to a heatwave and the transplantation of paddy, which is driving demand over supply and resulting in power outages and higher exchange purchases.
On Wednesday afternoon, Punjab’s peak power demand exceeded its maximum supply capacity of 16,000 megawatts (MW) due to the ongoing scorching temperatures and paddy transplantation. For the first time, the state’s power demand reached 16,078 MW, surpassing the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited’s (16,000 MW) capacity. (PSPCL).
The PSPCL claims that during the peak of the power demand, the state’s own generation amounted to just about 5,700 MW, with the remaining amount being sourced from the northern grid. It has been discovered that, ostensibly in order to ensure the continuous power supply, the PSPCL had to buy more electricity through power exchanges throughout the previous two days.
It is reported that on Monday, the PSPCL bought 62.2 million units (MU), and on Tuesday, it bought 58.8 MU. An unnamed official stated, “The PSPCL is spending more money on buying electricity through exchange obviously to maintain continuous supply due to high demand.”
For the past two days, the PSPCL has been compelled to operate all four of the Ranjit Sagar Dam project’s units continuously in order to close the gap between supply and demand due to the rising demand for electricity. These Ranjit Sagar Dam hydroelectric power plant units are often only used in the morning and evening when solar power production is at its lowest.
The water level in the reservoir of Ranjit Sagar Dam is currently 504.67 meters, which is more than 7 meters lower than the level on the same day last year (511.97 meters).
It is important to note that the state administration has previously written to the Center requesting an increase in the amount of 1,000 MW of power to be allocated from the central pool. But the request has not yet received a response from the Center.
Meanwhile, a problem in the boiler portion of the Talwandi Sabo thermal power plant caused one of its three units to trip on Tuesday night. The power output of that unit is close to 660 MW. A top PSPCL official stated, “Hopefully, it will be functional soon as the fault is being fixed.”
The PSPCL was forced to implement unplanned power outages in multiple cities on Tuesday night due to an extraordinary demand for electricity.
Jasvir Dhiman, head of the PSEB Engineers’ Association, stated that the entire paddy load has not yet started. “The situation has not improved in the first 15 days of June. In a statement, Dhiman stated, “Overall, there is a 42% increase in energy consumption and a 33% increase in maximum demand.” She also added that consumers must exercise some discipline in how much electricity they use.
He appealed to farmers to postpone paddy sowing by seven days in order to save water and electricity, and he asked residents to keep their air conditioners set at a maximum temperature of 26 degrees for the next twelve days.
