The State will get its full quota of power from Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) within a fortnight.
“Some of our plants that are under maintenance shutdown will start functioning in about two weeks and generate power touching 1,100 MW,” NLC Chairman-cum-Managing Director B. Surender Mohan told reporters here on Friday.
The planned shutdown had resulted in a shortfall of 310 MW of supply to the State.
At present, NLC was generating 2,176 MW of power against the installed capacity of 2,490 MW. Tamil Nadu was entitled to 1,100 MW. During maintenance works, the entitlement was 755 MW. Despite this, the NLC had supplied 867 MW, he said. “Every year, maintenance is planned during the October-December monsoon season as the power demand during that period is relatively less. Our plants run full swing during the other months, particularly January to June. The plants undergoing maintenance will start operating at optimum capacity within the next two weeks,” Mr. Mohan said.
Later, talking to The Hindu , Mr. Mohan added that two new projects of the NLC were close to being commissioned. The first units of thermal power station-II expansion in Neyveli and the thermal power plant in Tuticorin would be commissioned by February. While the expansion programme of the second unit at Neyveli would be completed by March, the second unit of the Tuticorin plant was expected to go on stream in May.
Regarding the Sirkali thermal power plant (4,000 MW), he said coal blocks in Chhattisgarh had been allotted for the project and the work was in a preliminary stage.
