The fourth unit of the 840 MW Mettur Thermal Power Station, which was damged in a fire 20 days ago, resumed operations on Thursday.
The station has a total of four units of 210 MW each. Between Sunday and Tuesday, production was revived in three units. By Friday morning, the station will be able to produce power to its capacity. On Thursday evening, 700 MW was generated.
MTPS Chief Engineer M. Madhu told The Hindu that all four units were fully operational and generation would touch the full capacity of 840 MW late in the night. The fire in the 180-metre-long conveyor belt carrying coal on May 10 killed a worker and injured two others.
A team led by the Chairman of the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO), Rajeev Ranjan, inspected the plant and expedited restoration works.
Over 500 workers removed iron scrap and carried out the work on a war-footing to install a new conveyor system. Furnace oil and steam pipelines were also replaced.
Maintenance work
In the meantime, maintenance works were carried out in all the four units. On Thursday morning, the power demand of 9,440 MW was met at 7-50 a.m. Of the generated quantum, wind energy accounted for the maximum of 2,654 MW followed by thermal power stations of Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation – 2,420 MW and the Central generating stations, including Neyveli Thermal Station I – 2,145 MW.
Load shedding
Load shedding of 1,486 MW was resorted to.
