Power production in the fourth unit of Tuticorin Thermal Power Station (TTPS) came to a halt, as the unit was shut down on Tuesday in view of annual overhauling works.
The overhauling works in several parts of the unit, including boiler tube and turbine, would be carried out for 15 days, TTPS sources said. The shutdown was ordered after getting clearance from authorities in Chennai.
A team of technical experts was involved in the work. The worn-out parts would be replaced with new ones. Following the shutdown, there was a production shortfall of 210 MW, the sources said.
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Each of the five units in the TTPS had a production capacity of 210 MW. Electricity consumption in the State was 14,400 MW on Monday and it increased to 14,879 MW on Tuesday, the sources said.
Now wind energy had also started contributing to cater to the needs of electricity consumers. Wind energy production in the State touched 935 MW on Tuesday, sources told The Hindu .
Normally, wind energy generation would commence by the end of May or at the start of the southwest monsoon in early June.
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The fourth TTPS unit, which was commissioned in 1992, achieved the highest plant load factor (PLF) of 104.5 per cent in February, 2004. The maximum power generation of 5.28 million units from the unit was reached on February 2, 2002.
The fourth unit was functional for 100 consecutive days for nine times since its inception. From January to July, 2013, the unit ran on 168 consecutive days. Its auxiliary consumption was 7.1 per cent, recorded in September, 1997.
More importantly, furnace oil, which would normally be used at times of breakdown to light up, was not used in the unit in the whole month of January in 1997, the sources said.