Explained: The coal factor in Punjab’s ongoing power crisis

Punjab is grappling with a power shortage that has put the state government and the Central government in a public dispute. The state blames the crisis on disruptions in coal supplies, whereas the Centre asserts that enough coal has been made accessible to Punjab's power plants. The issue has been exacerbated by high demand due to the paddy season and an ongoing summer heatwave.

Data from the power department reveals that generation from state-owned thermal plants fell short of expectations during the peak summer months of June to August. The Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal Power Plant (GGSSTP) in Ropar and the Guru Hargobind Thermal Power Plant (GHTP) in Lehra Mohabbat generated less power than their capacity, and some units were shut down or operated at reduced load.

Private Independent Power Producers (IPPs) such as Nabha Power Limited in Rajpura and Talwandi Sabo Power Limited experienced a similar situation until August, but their coal stocks have dwindled rapidly since then. By September 13, Nabha Power had approximately seven days of coal, and Talwandi Sabo had about four days.