Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): Punjab is facing renewed power supply pressure as a shortage of coal has affected generation at thermal plants, forcing the shutdown of three units and leaving the state increasingly dependent on electricity purchased from the central pool.
One unit each at the Talwandi Sabo and Rajpura private thermal power plants has remained out of operation, while a unit at a government-run plant has also been affected. With several generating units unavailable and overall demand climbing sharply during the day, consumers in different parts of the state have reported power cuts.
The situation has become particularly difficult during the night, when solar power generation falls to zero and the burden on thermal and other sources increases.
Demand climbs sharply during the day
Punjab’s electricity requirement has remained significantly higher than normal in recent days. At midnight on Thursday, demand stood at 11,655 MW, while the figure was 11,116 MW at 6:30 am on Friday.
By 8:30 am, demand had jumped to 14,195 MW. During the daytime over the past several days, the requirement has repeatedly crossed 16,500 MW.
Against this, generation within Punjab remained around 4,000 MW during the night and early morning hours. The shortfall was met largely through purchases from the central power pool, with approximately 7,100 MW being sourced from outside the state. By 8:30 am, total generation within Punjab had increased to around 4,200 MW.
Private plants operating well below capacity
Private thermal plants account for a substantial portion of Punjab’s installed thermal generation capacity, but coal constraints have prevented them from operating at full strength.
The two major private facilities at Rajpura and Talwandi Sabo have a combined capacity of 3,380 MW. Rajpura contributes 1,400 MW, while Talwandi Sabo has an installed capacity of 1,980 MW.
With one unit at each plant currently shut, the two facilities together generated only about 1,500 MW from late Thursday night into the morning, significantly below their combined capacity. Generation improved to approximately 1,700 MW by 8:30 am.
Government plants also affected
Punjab’s government-owned thermal plants have a combined capacity of about 2,300 MW.
On Thursday, one unit each at the Ropar and Goindwal thermal plants was reported to be offline. The Goindwal unit that remained shut during the night was subsequently brought back into operation, helping improve generation.
By 6:30 am, the government thermal plants were producing roughly 1,600 MW.
Coal supply remains a concern
The latest disruption comes days after Punjab’s Power Minister warned that inadequate coal stocks at thermal plants could trigger a serious electricity shortage if fresh supplies did not arrive.
Officials of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) have indicated that coal consignments are reaching the plants, but the supplies are not sufficient to meet their requirements. As a result, generating units continue to operate below their potential.
Consumers bear the brunt
The generation gap has translated into increased pressure on the state’s electricity supply network. Residents are particularly vulnerable to outages during the night, when solar generation—which contributes around 400 MW during daylight hours—falls to zero.
With electricity demand continuing to rise and thermal plants yet to return to full capacity, PSPCL is relying heavily on power purchases to bridge the gap. The duration and frequency of outages will depend largely on how quickly coal availability improves and the affected generating units return to service.
