Punjab Newsline, Chandigarh, December 29-
The year 2024 began with a historic move by the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government to purchase the Goindwal Power Plant from GVK Power at a cost of Rs. 1080 crore. This acquisition marked the first instance of a state government purchasing a private power plant in India. Renamed after Sri Guru Amardas Ji, the thermal plant's load factor was increased from 35 percent to 77 percent during this year, effectively doubling its power generation capacity. This 540 MW thermal plant, acquired at an economical rate of Rs. 2 crore per MW, is projected to save the state over Rs. 350 crore annually.
Revealing this in a press communique issued here, Punjab Power and Public Works Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO, while presenting the year-ending report of the Punjab Power Department, highlighted the pivotal role played by the government in revolutionizing the state's power sector. He said that the Pachhwara coal mine, operational since December 2022, has been instrumental in supplying coal to the state’s thermal plants. From April 1, 2024, a total of 50.84 lakh metric tons of coal was delivered through 1277 rakes, at a cost Rs. 11 crore per 1 lakh metric ton cheaper than that of Coal India Limited.