The Neyveli Lignite Corporation has been adhering to normal production schedule and, therefore, there is absolutely no need for any abrupt disruption or stoppage either in power generation or lignite mining as projected in a section of the press/media, NLC sources told The Hindu .
As of now, the NLC was generating 1,970 MW of electricity against its full capacity of 2,490 MW. The shortfall in power generation to the tune of 520 MW was owing to “declared annual maintenance of certain power units that has been going on for the past 10 days.”
The southern power grid to which the NLC was feeding electricity had already been informed of the maintenance work being carried out in certain thermal power stations of the NLC and the likely fall in power generation.
Two units of 210 MW capacity each in the Thermal Power Station-1 Expansion and Thermal Power Station-II, and, two units of 50 MW each in the Thermal Power Station-1 were now under annual maintenance.
As was mandated, the NLC used to supply 45 per cent of the power generated to Tamil Nadu. As such, about 900 MW of electricity was now being routed to Tamil Nadu through the southern grid.
Therefore, the projection in certain quarters that the NLC had cut down power generation did not have any substance.
The sources further said that the recent rain would not have any impact on lignite mining or hit power generation, because the NLC had adequate or even surplus stock of lignite that would help the organisation to see through the rainy days.
