All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) on Friday opposed any move to close down coal fired thermal power plants of the Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd (PSPCL).

An expert panel headed by former Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, in its report submitted to the Punjab government earlier in August, had suggested to close state-owned thermal power plants.

The panel had given its report for reviving state economy amid COVID-19 disruption. It had also recommended to give power tariff relief to the industries in the state which are reeling under the impact of the pandemic.

"The thermal plants of PSPCL should not be closed to reduce the average cost of power as recommended by the expert committee led by Montek Singh Ahluwalia," AIPEF spokesperson V K Gupta said in a statement.

Punjab has already closed two units of Ropar Thermal Plant and is planning to close down the remaining four units, it added.

The cost of power from private thermal power generators in Punjab has been one of the highest across India.

The per-unit rate of power from 1,400 MW L&T Rajpura, 1,980 MW TSPL (Talwandi Sabo Power Ltd) and 540 MW GVK Goinwal Sahib has been at an uneconomical rate of Rs 5.05, Rs 6.62 and Rs 9.54 per unit respectively.

With an assured high plant load factor or capacity utilisation, the rate per unit from Ropar and Lehra Mohabbat thermal plants of PSPCL shall be lesser, Gupta pointed out.

Further, the running hours of all the four 210 MW units at Ropar thermal plant vary between 1.6 lakh to 1.94 lakh hours as on March 31, 2020. Thus, there is no reason to close down these four units, he said.

According to the statement, the units at Lehra Mohabatt thermal plant (in Punjab) were commissioned between 2008 and 2010.

Moreover, in Tamil Nadu four 210 MW units of Mettur thermal plants and 5 units of 210 MW of Tuticorin thermal plants have also completed 25 years with running hours of more than 2 lakh hours. These plants are still operating, he said.

In Maharashtra, more than 30 years old 2 units of 210 MW each at Chanderpur thermal are operating. In Chhatisgarh, all four units of Hasdeo thermal are operating. Even, similar units of NTPC at Singrauli and Vindhachal are running successfully, the statement said.

Meanwhile, the PSEB Engineers Association in a letter to Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said the closure of thermal plants would be suicidal for Punjab in the long run. This will not only increase the tariff but also lead to blackmail by private generators, the Association has said in the letter. PTI KKS KKS DRR DRR