BHEL begins boiler erection work for Uppur Thermal plant

After almost completing about 6,500 piling works, public sector Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has begun boiler column erection for the 2x800 MW Uppur Supercritical Thermal power plant, but seawater intake and outfall project and the balance of project works have suffered a setback due to litigation.

After former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa laid the foundation in July 2016, the ₹12,655-crore prestigious project was initially scheduled for completion by December. However, even the revised schedule of December 2020 looks remote now.

As Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco), the executing agency, is fighting a legal battle to secure 359 acres of private land, the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court stayed moving of earth to lay makeshift road in the sea for seawater intake and outfall project, causing a setback.

“With a major portion of seawater intake and outfall project [laying pipelines on an elevated structure in the Palk Bay up to seven km] and the balance of project works at the initial stage, the possibility of completing the project by 2020 is remote,” officials said.

The only solace is BHEL, which was awarded the Boiler, Turbine and Generators (BTG) project, has completed two boiler column erections on Tuesday. It proposes to erect 83 columns each for the two 800 MW units, they said.

Larsen and Toubro (L&T), implementing the seawater intake and outfall project, is laying a makeshift road in the shallow waters inside the sea off Morepannai fishing hamlet for moving machinery and material. The company wants to lay the road for about two km inside the sea but cannot complete the remaining 600-metre-stretch in view of the stay order. After completing the stretch, L&T proposes to move the material, using barges, officials said.

Reliance Infrastructure, which is implementing the ‘balance of project’ works, has started moving reinforced steel and other structural material but cannot proceed in full swing for want of land.

Meanwhile, Tangedco officials await a clarification from the Advocate General whether the Madras High Court’s July order, declaring land acquisitions made since September 27, 2013 illegal, will apply to the Uppur project as it has already put the acquired land to use. The order has restrained it from using 369 acres of land although the State government has filed an appeal against the order in the Supreme Court, they added.