The first of the four hydro-electric ppwer projects being established by the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) in the Periyar-Vaigai downstream in Theni district is likely to be commissioned this month.
Work at the remaining three units are also nearing completion and will commence operations soon. The power evacuation system for these four units and other transmission projects in the southern districts was reviewed here on Wednesday by S. Akshayakumar, Director (Transmission) of Tamil Nadu Transmission Corporation (TANTRANSCO), which establishes and operates the TNEB's network of transmission lines and sub-stations after it was unbundled.
A. Nachadalingam, Chief Engineer (Distribution) of Madurai Region, TNEB, told The Hindu on Thursday that two of the hydro-units had 4 megawatt total capacity each with the other two having 2.5 MW each. The Madurai region comprises Madurai, Theni, Dindigul, Sivaganga and Ramanathapuram districts.
A 110 kilovolt sub-station was being constructed at K.G. Patti in Cumbum in Theni district to evacuate power generated by the hydro-electric units. Another 110 KV sub-station was coming up in the Veerapandi panchayat in the same district to tackle voltage fluctuations.
Of the four sub-stations under construction in Madurai district, three were likely to be commissioned by March. They include the ones coming up at Mahatma Gandhi Nagar, Ellis Nagar and Avaniapuram SS - to supply power to the new terminal of the Madurai airport and Sewage Treatment Plant of the Madurai Corporation, he said.
The Ilandhaikulam sub-station, which is also part of the Transmission and Distribution Programme of the Madurai region for the current fiscal, would be supplying power to the Information Technology park. The work was in the preliminary stage.
Two more sub-stations were coming up in Dindigul, besides one each in Sivaganga and Ramanathapuram districts. The Director was also appraised of the demand for equipment to augment existing power stations and improve the power infrastructure in the southern districts, said Mr. Nachadalingam.
