The first unit of the 1,000-MW Tuticorin thermal power project (2x500 MW), now under construction, is likely to be commissioned in December 2013 and the second unit by March 2014.
The project is being implemented through a joint venture company, NTPL (NLC- Tamil Nadu Power Ltd,), according to NLC Chairman-cum-Managing Director B. Surender Mohan.
He mentioned this in his speech read out by NLC Director (Human Resources) Sarat Kumar Acharya (as Mr. Mohan is on an official trip abroad) at the Independence Day celebrations held on the NLC premises on Thursday.
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The NLC, a Navratna company, is poised to substantially increase its power generation capacity as the Coal Ministry had allotted two coal blocks: the Jilga-Barpalli block with coal reserve of 396 million tonnes in Chhattishgarh for the proposed 4,000-MW Sirkazhi project at Nagapattinam; and the Pachawara-South block with coal reserve of 279 million tonnes in Jharkhand for the 1,980-MW Ghatampur project to be executed through the Neyveli-Uttar Pradesh Power Ltd.
Mr. Mohan further stated that during 2012-2013, NLC produced 262.23 lakh tonnes of lignite and generated 19,902.34 million units of electricity, a growth of 6.64 per cent and 5.92 per cent respectively compared to the previous financial year.
The company achieved a net profit of Rs. 1,459.75.crore for the financial year ending March 2013, the highest ever by the company.
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The brief industrial unrest over the disinvestment proposal was amicably resolved by the timely action of the Central and State governments, Mr. Mohan said.
On contract labour front, NLC had enrolled 4,219 workmen with the NLC Industrial Cooperative Society. As promised in his Republic Day address, specialty healthcare centres in cardiology and neurology started functioning at the NLC general hospital.
NLC Director (Planning and Project) R. Kandasamy hoisted the national flag and took the salute.
He honoured the senior most employee of the company, A. Annadurai, with his wife A.Janaki on the occasion.