The State’s power managers find the electricity demand in the city growing rapidly every year. The demand, which remained at a ‘manageable’ level of 3,000 MW till last year, has almost touched 3,200 MW this year, severely testing the city’s ‘fragile’ transmission network.
Though Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Company (Tangedco) is in a comfortable position with a generation capacity of more than 18,000 MW, the chronic lack of development in the transmission network has led to power failures on more than three occasions in the past two months.
Heavy demand this year
A senior Tangedco official said the city has seen a heavy surge in demand this summer because of air-conditioners being used almost constantly, though there has been an overall reduction in power demand in the State by 600 MW. The official said power cuts are occurring because of issues concerning transmission network, and they have already planned to sort these out by continuous infrastructure development work in the coming years.
The Tamil Nadu Transmission Corporation (Tantransco) has already started executing several power infrastructure projects of sub-stations and transmission lines. While work on 20 sub-stations of capacities of 400 KV, 230 KV, 110 KV and 33 KV, is in progress, Tantransco has lined up proposals for constructing more than 40 sub-stations to meet the demand in future. The official said Tantransco would be constructing new 400 KV sub-stations in Pulianthope, Guindy, Korattur and Taramani.
Big sub-stations
Similarly, six 230-KV and 15 110-KV capacity sub-stations have been proposed in different parts of the city.
In addition to these big sub-stations, 18 smaller type of 33-KV sub-stations are planned, which would help in better regulation of electricity supply. New 33-KV sub-stations are planned at Karambakkam, Ponniamman Nagar in Iyyappanthangal and Aminjikarai. The 43 sub-stations would be executed at a cost of ₹3,248 crore.
The official said: “The smaller sub-stations are needed as they play a vital part in preventing low voltage and give the option of backfeeding in case of any failure of feeder lines.”
Tantransco also has several pending tasks such as laying of underground electricity cable network, upgradation of sub-stations, enhancement of power transformers and renovation of old sub-stations.
The total budget outlay of ₹915.65 crore has been allotted for these projects.
Underground cables
The major underground cable network project involves installation of electricity cables between Sriperumbudur and Taramani at a cost of ₹289.70 crore and from Kalivanthapattu to Taramani at a cost ₹268.30 crore.
The official said there would be major relief to city residents once two major feeder lines, which were caught in some legal problems, to Ottiyambakkam in south Chennai and Manali in north Chennai, are completed.
