Annual capacity addition of 2,000 MW from next year

Tamil Nadu will witness an annual capacity addition of 2,000 megawatt (MW), starting from next year, C.P. Singh, Chairman, Tamil Nadu Electricity Board, said on Saturday.

The increase in capacity addition would go on for four years. The projection was based on power generation projects that had taken off. He expressed the hope that the Kodankulam nuclear power project would be commissioned.

Addressing a function at the TNEB headquarters here, Mr. Singh released two publications of the Centre for Asia Studies on the power scenario in the State and nuclear power in the country.

Demand-supply gap

Acknowledging that the gap between demand and supply was 3,000 MW, the TNEB chairman said that apart from the production from the Board's stations and other sources, it was purchasing power in the range of 2,000 MW to 2,500 MW.

He later told

The Hindu that on an average, the monthly purchase bill was Rs. 180 crore.

An official release stated that the maximum demand for electricity in the State rose to 10,400 MW this year. The national average per capita consumption was around 720 units. In the State, it was above 1000 units with 2.1 crore consumers. Other than in Chennai, 21 hours of supply was being maintained for domestic consumers. In the city, 24 hours' supply was being provided.

Fault attending system

Interruptions in power supply were owing to damage in underground cables/substation equipment and not being made for load management as reported in a section of the press. The fault receiving/attending system at the TNEB was being refurbished with required material and staff to be available round-the-clock, the release added.