The power demand in Punjab crossed the 14,000 MW mark Tuesday amid a sharp rise in daytime temperatures, with the state's peak demand touching 14,026 MW at around 3 pm. Power demand in the state has been rising steadily, increasing by approximately 1,000 MW per day, over the past few days, after the initial half of May saw relatively low demand due to favourable weather conditions. On Monday, the maximum demand recorded was 13,700 MW, and on Saturday, it was 12,232 MW. “Power consumption has surpassed the 14,000 MW mark today, and is expected to increase further due to the challenging paddy season ahead. The nursery for paddy is currently being cultivated, and requires adequate irrigation support,” said a senior PSPCL official. The official projected that power consumption in Punjab could reach up to 17,000 MW this season. V K Gupta, the spokesperson of All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF), said that although the figures appear manageable on paper, unforeseen challenges and force majeure events remain a critical factor that could impact supply. While Punjab drew over 8,850 MW from the Northern Grid, its gross generation stood at 5,150 MW. Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) is currently supplying around 2,550 lakh units (LU) of electricity daily. As of Tuesday, all four units of Ropar Thermal Plant, three units of Lehra Mohabbat Thermal Plant, and one unit of Goindwal Thermal Plant are operational. One unit at the GVK Goindwal plant is currently shut for annual maintenance and is expected to resume operations by May 26. Additionally, one unit at Lehra Mohabbat is non-operational due to a boiler leakage. Currently, the state-owned thermal generation is producing 1,560 MW, private thermal generation is contributing approximately 2,980 MW, and solar power generation within the state is about 300 MW. On the same date last year, Punjab’s maximum power demand was 13,125 MW. The average daily power supply in May 2024 was 2,078 LU, increasing to over 2,500 LU after May 17. This year, due to cooler weather in the first 10 days of May, PSPCL's average daily supply has been lower at 1,949 LU. Monday’s power supply stood at 2,494 LU. Last year, the highest power demand in May was recorded on May 24, touching 14,425 MW. This year, Punjab’s maximum demand is expected to reach up to 17,300 MW. The anticipated drawl from the Northern Grid could be around 10,500 MW, with the state’s ideal generation capacity pegged at 6,500 MW. Coal stock levels at state-run thermal plants are stable, with Lehra Mohabbat holding 26 days' stock, Ropar 36 days, and Goindwal 30 days. Among private thermal plants, Rajpura has 27 days' coal stock, and Talwandi Sabo has a stock for 16 days.
