Punjab Power Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond has claimed that the state’s ongoing power crisis will ease significantly from September 15, with long-duration power cuts expected to end. Speaking in Ludhiana, Sond said the government has also worked to restore private thermal power plants, deploying around 200 government employees for the task.
Minister Says Power Supply to Improve
Sond said farmers are now receiving 10 hours of power supply, compared with eight hours earlier. He also pointed to a sharp rise in electricity demand, saying Punjab’s demand this year is around 3,500 MW higher than last year.
Despite increased generation, demand has remained above 16,000 MW, putting the state’s power supply system under continued pressure.
Coal Shortage Limits Generation
The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) is currently operating generation sources at high levels, but coal shortages have restricted overall generation to around 5,743 MW.
While generation has improved compared with previous days, demand has not eased, forcing PSPCL to rely heavily on electricity purchased from the central pool to bridge the supply gap.
Industrial Sector Protests Over Power Cuts
Unscheduled power cuts have triggered concern among industrial consumers in Ludhiana. Dyeing industry entrepreneurs have announced a protest at Vardhman Chowk on Chandigarh Road, citing disruptions caused by power cuts.
The opposition Congress has also announced a protest outside the PSPCL headquarters in Patiala, turning the power crisis into a political issue.
Government Thermal Plants
Punjab has three government thermal power plants with a total of 10 units.
At Ropar, four units have a combined capacity of 840 MW, but are currently generating around 487 MW.
The Lehra Mohabbat plant has four units with a capacity of 920 MW, generating around 801 MW. The Goindwal plant has two units with a total capacity of 540 MW and is producing around 501 MW.
Together, the government thermal plants are generating approximately 1,786 MW.
Private Thermal Plants Generate 3,022 MW
Punjab’s two private thermal plants have a combined capacity of 3,380 MW.
The three units at Talwandi Sabo have a combined capacity of 1,980 MW and are generating around 1,701 MW. At Rajpura, two units have a combined capacity of 1,400 MW, with generation currently around 1,321 MW.
Together, the two private plants are producing approximately 3,022 MW.
Hydel Projects Add to Supply
Punjab’s hydropower projects are also contributing to the state’s electricity supply. At the Ranjit Sagar Dam project, two of four turbines were operating around 9 am on Monday, generating about 240 MW against the project’s 600 MW capacity.
Other hydel projects were generating around 44 MW from UBDC, 193 MW from Mukerian, 112 MW from Anandpur Sahib and 50 MW from Shanan.
Overall, hydel projects were generating around 639 MW during the day, rising to approximately 830 MW at night.
Solar Generation Drops at Night
Solar plants and other sources are contributing around 350–400 MW during the daytime. At around 9 am, their combined generation was approximately 341 MW.
However, solar generation falls to virtually zero at night, adding to the pressure on the power system during evening and nighttime demand.
Punjab Relies on Central Pool
With demand consistently exceeding the state’s own generation, PSPCL is relying heavily on the central power pool to bridge the supply-demand gap.
Around 11,000 MW of electricity was being purchased from the central pool on Monday, highlighting the extent to which Punjab is depending on external power to meet its peak requirements.
Power Crisis Expected to Ease
With private and government plants operating at higher levels and additional power being sourced from the central pool, the Punjab government expects the situation to improve. Sond has maintained that long power cuts will stop from September 15, although the continued high demand and coal constraints remain key challenges for the state’s power sector.