Power Minister Abu Taher Mondal on Thursday visited the Pump Storage Programme at Purulia (PPSP), West Bengal, a 4×225 MW project commissioned in 2007.
Mondal was accompanied by Sanjay Goyal, the Commissioner & Secretary, Power Department, Meghalaya, and Subhasankar Debsarma Biswas, Director (Generation) of West Bengal State Electricity Distributor Company Limited (WBSEDEL) Subhasankar Debsarma Biswas, Director (Generation) of West Bengal State Electricity Distributor Company Limited (WBSEDEL) delivered a presentation to the Hon’ble Minister, highlighting the technical intricacies of the project.
The Minister’s proactive approach in exploring the PPSP was accentuated by its relevance to the power challenges faced by Meghalaya.
Mondal said, “Paying a visit to the Purulia Pumped Storage Project (PPSP) has been an enriching experience. Notably, this project stands as India’s first 900MW pumped storage project, setting a remarkable precedent for success. Given the escalating demand for power in our state of Meghalaya, we are eagerly exploring avenues to augment the power infrastructure.”
It is pertinent that PPSP is based on pump storage technology based on Hydel power generation. The main objective of PPSP is to meet peak load demand of the system and utilize excess available power of the system during off peak time, hence, to flatten the load demand curve. Meghalaya presently operates eight hydroelectric power plants with a rated capacity of 355 MW, drawing 228 MW from central generating stations. Notably, about 68% of the power is sourced from hydroelectric means, positioning Meghalaya as one of the most environmentally conscious states in the country.
Sanjay Goyal stated, “The government is going for an all-out effort to ease power crisis. There are many hydro projects in the state and the knowledge gained from our visit to Purulia will be employed in our state projects.”
This visit underscores Meghalaya’s dedication to embracing innovative solutions and best practices in the power sector, as the state continues its pursuit of sustainable and efficient energy solutions.