Days after her government’s green signal to the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Thursday said the plant is expected to commence production in two months.
She said this in the Assembly, elaborating on steps to increase energy availability in the state hit by power crisis.
The government had recently given its go ahead to the Indo-Russian project at Kudankulam, where work was stalled for several months, following protest by anti-nuclear activists over safety concerns. Work on the first two units, each capable of producing 1000 MW, is almost complete.
The state government had given the green signal after maintaining silence for several months on commissioning of KNPP, paving the way for immediate resumption of work.
Both the central and state expert panels had certified the plant as safe.
People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy, spearheading the stir against the project, withdrew its nine-day indefinite fast yesterday, but is continuing the agitation.
Responding to members’ observation that the budget did not contain any power projects, she said the AIADMK government had added 2,518 MW during its previous tenure in 2001-2006 as against 206 MW during the last DMK regime.
More projects
Listing the steps to ease the power crisis, Ms. Jayalalithaa said her government had decided to implement the Rs 3960 crore 660 MW Ennore Thermal Power Station replacement project.
She said it would be an ‘environmental friendly’ project with advanced ‘Supercritical technology’ in which less coal would be consumed and more power generated.
The expansion project replacing the four-decade old Ennore Thermal Power Station is expected to be commissioned by the end of 2015.
On the 800 MW Tuticorin Thermal Power Station project a consultant has been appointed for a feasibility study. .
“This project will be implemented by end of 2015,” she said.
Similarly, as a first step to the 1600 MW Udangudi Super Critical Thermal Power Project, a feasibility study had also been undertaken. “This project would be commissioned in the financial year 2015—16”, the Chief Minister said.
Referring to the 600MW North Chennai Thermal Power Station Stage two project, Ms. Jayalalitha said the first unit would be commissioned in August 2012 and the second in December.
“The 600 MW Mettur Thermal Power Station Stage-three project will be commissioned before June 2012 and the State would get its full capability by September”, she said.
She said the first unit of 1000 MW Vallur Thermal Power Project, jointly executed with Nuclear Thermal Power Corporation, would commence production in June and the second unit by November. “The third unit will be commissioned by June 2013,” she said.
“My government has been taking various new projects to address the power shortage”, she said.
The prevailing power cuts would be gradually reduced from June this year, she added.
Keywords: Kudankulam power project
does this article require a large photo of her to be posted?
The development plans proposed by ADMK government are focussed more on non renewable resources.if they exhaust then we have to search for another energy resource.so Government should focus on renewable energy resources like solar and wind for production of electricity.if it happens then future tamil nadu will be free from electricity shortage problem.Government should focus on this matter and include this in visionary project
DMK would never have been able to give the go ahead for kudankulam. JJ is one of teh very few leaders who have the gumption for this type of bold decisions. KK is more concerned about his vote bank. to hell with the long term wellebing of teh state and its people. he will vacillate even on a decsision like making helmet compulsory or number plates. it is a blessing to have JJ at the helms of Tamilnadu.
TN should get the full power generated from KKNP. Only any surplus after TN demand is fulfilled can be given to National Grid.
Meanwhile PM as promised 950 MW for Pak.. when TN is reeling under power cuts.. democracy is strange.
It looks like ms jayalalitha is living in the dream world, Production of electricity will start in two months, why can't people give a realistic dates the kudankulam will start production atleast six months she has missed the bus for this summer
This is a real "Tuglaq" regime.
Just a few days ago, she did not want to allow Kidankulam project. Now she waves Kudankulam as the panacea. Maybe she now realises that her ploy of blaming the previous Govt for the enormous Power supply problems has not been accepted by the people.
Has she ever done anything constructive for the people
mr.raj, let itbe dmk or admk what we want is electricity and no power politics. if it was dmk why the hell did they not do it so long!!!why raise politics in this please. let us go ahead and ease the power cut situation. only when you suffer you realise.
Sir, though TN govt took some time to tackle KKNP agitation, finally,
it is glad to hear the project is taking off. It would be nice that
the govt give more details about the pipeline projects and what is the
status to the people. Indeed it is disheartening that the budget do
not carry sufficient announcements on the new projects. What happened
to the following projects.
A) 1200MW expansion at North Chennai
B) 600MW in Mettur
C) 1500MW Vallur Thermal Project
D) 1600MW Udangudi JV with BHEL
E) 1000MW Tuticorin JV with NLC
According to the situation TN is lacking around 4000MW shortage. The
above projects provide 5900MW. Above this KKNP so Tamil Nadu would be
in surplus. I assume these projects been initiated by the DMK govt as
stated by Mr.Pethuru Raj. Indeed the current govt should concentrate
more on to infrastructure projects. Roads and Electricity are the two
eyes of the state as far as the infrastructure is concern. I wish and
pray that this govt plan for new projects.
Many development plans were proposed by Jayalalitha government. First i would like to appreciate the visionary thinking of our chief minister. At the same time,the development plans proposed by government are more focussed on Thermal power plant. we have to remember that they are non renewable energy resources.we are stealing and digging our earth to use all non renewable energy resources.once they are emptied then we have to again search for energy sources.with future vision the government have to think of using renewable energy resources for electricity production.Government has to proposed plan on solar and wind energy production.more solar energy production plants have to be implanted.when this happens then there will be no problem of electricity production in future.
It's good move to a N-plant in a state hit by power shortage,but we should need an international committee(including the experts from Japan) confirming the safeness of the infrastructure.
All these projects were initiated by DMK government and will be presented to general and gullible public as JJ's initiatives. If DMK had not indulged in the corruption acts, it could have reaped the benefits for the infrastructure developments initiated by it during the last five years.
Why don't we have more nuclear power projects? Nuclear power is green. Coal and water can be conserved. The nuclear projects are smaller and generates larger capacity. The lessons learned in Kundankulam can be made use in the upcoming projects.
It is a well known fact that, but for the tacit support of the State Govt, the Kudankulam agitations would not have gone this far. By now, the plant would be producing power. In fact, the agitators themselves have told that they were supported by the State govt initially and let down now.
Coal Power plant commissioning takes anywhere between 4 to 6 years from the foundation laying ceremony.
If no power projects were commissioned in DMK regime (2006-2011) obviously, no power projects were initiated during the previous ADMK regime.
If 2,518 MW was commissioned in 2001-06, obviously majority of it would have been initiated during the previous regime.
Pity that the project was given the green signal by TN govt only when their back was against the wall, vis-a-vis, the heavy load shedding in the state. In the bargain the tax payer has ended up paying almost Rs. 900 crore as inflation for Kudankulam.
The hope of the Kudankulam power project to be commissioned within two
months will make a history for Tamil Nadu state and also for the
country.
If more nuclear power plants are opened, the power crisis will be
resolved easily. According to Dr Kalam, nuclear power plant will
not cause any pollution whereas the thermal power plants emit more
pollutants which will cause global warming. Hope Tamil Nadu govt.
convert all the Thermal Power Stations into Nuclear Power Plants in
the near future to serve the people in a better way.
Silver lining on the abysmal power position of TN seems to be seen in
the horizon.Hope the tunnel, at the end of which there will be brilliant
light, will not be too long.
nice to see the infrastructure development, which will spur growth in future. But, why wasn't this explicitly included in the budget?
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