Four generators of the Moolamattom powerhouse of the Idukki hydroelectric project were restored to power generation mode on Wednesday. The Kerala State Electricity Board’s (KSEB) top officials are assessing the damage caused to the machines after a blast in the circuit breaker of generator-3 on Tuesday.
KSEB (generation) director Baburaj, who reached the powerhouse on Tuesday night, held a meeting with the officials there. He collected details of the blast damaging other equipment in the powerhouse. An official at the powerhouse told The Hindu that though the machines damaged at the blast could not be immediately repaired, the four generators were put in production mode. The power generation was completely stopped for a while after the blast. It was also learnt that a power transformer, potential transformer, panel board, and electricity measuring instruments were damaged in the blast. It would take over a week to restore the generation to the normal level, sources said.
The official power generation level during the past 24 hours was 3.85 million units. A KSEB Vigilance inquiry was on into the reasons of the recurring blasts.
The State would also go through a severe shortage of power in the coming days as the generation could be restored only partially. The official said that only after analysing the damage to equipment would it be clear when they would be repaired to restore normal power generation.
The water level in the Idukki dam was 2,349.3 ft on Wednesday. There was 15.2 mm rainfall in the catchment area on Wednesday.
The water level on the same day last year was 2,334.78 ft, said an official of the Dam Monitoring and Research Station, Vazhathoppe.
Normal power generation likely to be restored after a week.
