The coal-based 1,000-MW power project of the NLC Tamil Nadu Power Ltd (NTPL) at Tuticorin would go on stream by next month. While the 500-MW first unit of the joint venture project would be commissioned by February, another unit of similar capacity would begin operation by May, according to B. Surender Mohan, Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Neyveli Lignite Corporation.
He was delivering a speech at the Republic Day celebrations held at the Bharathi Stadium in Neyveli Township here on Sunday. The Chairman said that two units of 250-MW capacity each of the Thermal Power Station-II Expansion in Neyveli would begin the commercial operation by February and March respectively.
Therefore, in all probability the NLC would contribute 1,500 MW of additional energy to the central power grid in the next few months.
Cost factorHowever, the Chairman voiced concern over the increasing production cost on account of the swelling overhead expenditure that exceeded the “operations and maintenance norms” fixed by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC). In other words, the NLC units were generating power at 26 per cent higher cost than the CERC stipulations and such a situation had cut down the profit level of the corporation by 17 per cent; profit had come down to Rs 518.43 crore from Rs 623.13 crore for the corresponding period last year, he said.
The NLC power generation cost amounted to Rs. 6.47 lakh per megawatt of electricity and of which the salary component alone accounted for 88 per cent or Rs 5.72 lakh per MW. The production cost could be brought within the prescribed limits only through maximising production in all the units and putting in sustained efforts to implement expansion schemes and to explore new avenues of development.
With regard to the 1,000 MW Neyveli New Thermal Power Project, the Chairman said that its first 500-MW unit was expected to be commissioned in August 2017 and the second 500-MW unit in February 2018.
He hoped that on the implementation of new power projects such as the 4,000-MW Sirkazhi Thermal Power Project at Nagapattinam, the 1,980-MW project of the Neyveli Uttar Pradesh Power Ltd at Ghathampur and the two 10-MW solar power project planned in Neyveli and at Barsingsar, Rajasthan, the total installed capacity of the NLC would go up to 11,195 MW, from the present 2,740 MW, in the next ten years.
Earlier, the Chairman garlanded the Mahatma Gandhi statue, hoisted the National Flag and inspected the guard of honour.
He also gave away cash prizes to the employees observing small family norms, best quality circles, well-maintained welfare centre and to students who attained excellence in sports. Over 4,000 students staged cultural programmes based on patriotic themes.
