SHILLONG, Dec 8: In a bid to address the power crisis in Meghalaya, power minister Abu Taher Mondal visited the Pumped Storage Project at Purulia (PPSP), West Bengal, 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).
The PPSP is a 4×225 MW project commissioned in 2007 and represents India’s first 900 MW pumped storage project. The visit aimed to explore the technical intricacies of the project and assess its relevance to Meghalaya’s power challenges. The pump storage technology based on hydel power generation at PPSP is designed to meet peak load demand and utilize excess available power during off-peak times.
Mondal emphasised the importance of exploring avenues to enhance Meghalaya’s power infrastructure in response to the increasing demand for power in the state. Meghalaya currently operates eight hydroelectric power plants with a rated capacity of 355 MW, with about 68% of the power sourced from hydroelectric means.
Sanjay Goyal expressed the government’s commitment to making all-out efforts to ease the power crisis, noting that the knowledge gained from the visit to Purulia would be applied to state projects in Meghalaya.
This proactive approach underscores Meghalaya’s dedication to embracing innovative solutions and best practices in the power sector as the state seeks sustainable and efficient energy solutions. (NNN)
