THOOTHUKUDI
Power generation at the first unit of Tuticorin Thermal Power Station (TTPS) was suspended on Wednesday evening after it suffered a breakdown.
The boiler tube of the unit developed a puncture, and immediately a team of experts attended to the problem and rectified it. The unit was ready for generation now, but Load Despatch Centre had instructed the authorities to keep the unit, with a production capacity of 210 MW, on standby in view of the increasing wing energy generation, sources told The Hindu here on Thursday.
The other four units of the TTPS had been generating power as usual, sources said.
The TTPS authorities were struggling to get water for power generation, and anxiously awaiting the timely onset of South-west monsoon. If it rained in catchment areas in June, water level in dams would raise and to some extent the water needs of the TTPS could be met.
The TTPS was sourcing 4,000 kilolitres of water locally every day and around 750 kilolitres of demineralised water was being accessed daily from NTPL plant to ensure uninterrupted power generation. According priority to drinking water supply, the district administration discontinued water supply to the TTPS since January 7, sources said.
Wind power generation started picking up at potential areas such as Aralvaimozhi, Shencottah, Muppandal, Kayathar, Eppodhumvendran, Tenkasi, Radhapuram, Vadakankulam and Kudankulam under Tirunelveli Circle of Non-conventional Energy Sources, TANGEDCO.
Around 1,500 MW of wind energy was derived from these sites on Wednesday, and the same output was achieved by 4 p.m. on Thursday, sources said. With the onset of monsoon, wind energy generation would peak to about 2,400 MW in June under the circle.
The solar panels set up at Kamuthi, Aruppukottai, Tiruchuli, Virudhunagar, Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli started yielding 800 MW to 900 MW every day, sources added.
