Power crisis in TN

CHENNAI, MARCH 25: The Ramagundam 500 MW power plant has tripped following a major machine breakdown and hence will not be available for u...

CHENNAI, MARCH 25: The Ramagundam 500 MW power plant has tripped following a major machine breakdown and hence will not be available for use in the Southern grid for at least one month.

Tamil Nadu gets 200 MW of power from Ramagundam. Already suffering a 300 MW shortage in the peak load, it has taken steps to meet the immediate needs. The peak load requirement is 5,700 MW. It has immediately tied up with Punjab and Maharashtra to make up the shortfall

Sources told ENS that the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board has written to the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) to set right the damage to the Ramagundam plant at the earliest. But NTPC has replied that it will take a minimum of one month to rectify the problem. The Ramagundam plant tripped following breakdown of the vibrator.

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TN’s power problems are expected to be solved by March 31 next year, when Independent power producers Pillaiperumal Nallur (PPN) will provide 330 MW, Samayanallur 100 MW and Samalpatti 100 MW of power. The balance will come from the TNEB’s own plants.

Due to the failure of the monsoon this year, the TNEB has introduced some load shedding in the urban areas excluding Chennai, in order to conserve hydel energy.

The TNEB will review the power position on April 15, by which time the use of power for Agriculture is expected to taper off. Once that happens, more power will be available to see through the summer. The TNEB is drawing 300 MW through power purchase, of which 100 MW comes from the Eastern region and 200 MW from Ramagundam.

All thermal stations – Mettur, Tuticorin, North Chennai and Ennore, are working to full capacity. But the lack of rains last season has affected the Kunda project in Nilgiri.