3000 MW capacity thermal plants shutdown in Tuticorin after being hit by floods

CHENNAI: With the thermal power plants with a generation capacity of nearly 3000 MW facing outages in Tuticorin owing to the heavy rains, TANGEDCO has been forced to procure high-cost power purchase from the market to meet the shortage in power supply.

Following an unprecedented heavy downpour on December 17 and 18, all five units of the 1050 MW Tuticorin Thermal Power Plant units have been hit by inundation.

Private thermal power plants - SEPC and Coastal Energen are under forced shutdown with a 525 MW and 1200 MW generation capacity, respectively. TANGEDCO's joint venture with NLC - NTPL has restored generation in one of its two 500 MW units but it is running under a lesser load.

A senior official of TANGEDCO said that works are underway to resume power generation in the TTPS.

"We are working to remove the ash which has blocked the cooling water channel. In one or two days, we will resume generation in a few units. By December 27 or 28th, we are planning to resume generation in all the five units, " the official added.

The 2X500 MW NTPL has commenced generation in one of the units, after being hit by waterlogging. Tangedco gets 417 MW as its share from two units of NTPL.

"They have managed to resume operation but with lesser generation, " sources said.

Apart from the flood-hit thermal power plants, solar generation has come down drastically in the state following the heavy rains in the Southern districts which house solar plants, particularly the Ramanathapuram district.

"On December 14, the state has got a peak solar generation of 4,293 MW. It has come down to 1,730 MW on December 21. During the daytime, we used to be a power surplus but less availability combined with shutdowns of thermal plants has forced us to procure power from the market. Our peak demand is around 15,000 MW, " Tangedco sources said, adding that all three 500 MW units of Vallur Thermal Power Plant near Chennai are also under shutdown.