Faced with severe shortage of coal, NTPC Simhadri Super Thermal Power Station at Parawada near here has shutdown the Unit-4.
NTPC sources told The Hindu that the management took the decision to cut down power generation due to severe shortage in availability of coal. It will not be operated till there is improvement in coal stocks.
Simhadri Super Thermal Power Station has an installed capacity of 2000 MW (4X 500 MW) and is capable of generating 48 million units on a single day. It supplies 1,000 MW from first phase and 335 MW from second phase to Andhra Pradesh.
During January 2013, due to the shortfall in domestic coal receipts, the utilisation factor came down considerably. Consequently, units are being run at 70 to 80 per cent load (almost at technical minimum load).
“To supplement the shortfall, the ground stock available also has been consumed. We will take a decision to operate Unit-4 once the stocks improve,” an official of the company said.