"It is great moment for the people of state of Punjab as first unit of Rajpura thermal plant has started commercial operation," Punjab State Power Corporation Chairman and Managing Director K D Chaudhri said.
"The plant was tested at full load of 700-MW continuously for 72 hours without any interruption and there after it underwent two sets of ramp up and ramp down tests before being granted commercial operation status by engineers," he said.
These tests were being witnessed and monitored round the clock by team of experts from Punjab State Power Corporation Limited, Lahmeyer International India and L&T Power Limited, he said.
Chaudhri claimed that with the commissioning of Rajpura Unit -1, Punjab will be able to export power to the other states.
Developed by Larsen & Toubro, the project involved capital outlay of Rs 9,600 crore for setting up the coal-fired power plant at Nalash village in Patiala district.
The project was dedicated to Punjab on December 8 when the state's Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal inagurated its first unit. Foundation stone of this green field project was laid on March 3, 2010.
Coal supply for the Rajpura power plant had been secured through a fuel supply agreement with South Eastern Coalfields with annual coal requirement of 6.75 million tonnes.
L&T will be supplying power to Punjab government for 25 years as per agreement signed with it.