Anbumani criticises delay in operationalising North Chennai Thermal Power Plant-3
He emphasised that "the lack of facilities such as coal handling systems, conveyor belts, and storage for coal ash has hindered the plant's functionality."
PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss
CHENNAI: PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss on Thursday issued a statement highlighting the delays and issues surrounding the North Chennai Thermal Power Plant-3, which was inaugurated in March 2023. Despite being operational for six months, the plant has yet to commence operations.
Anbumani criticised the hurried opening of the power plant before, which has been delayed for a long time due to the lack of basic infrastructure for the use of coal at the plant, which was hurriedly opened before the Lok Sabha elections.
He emphasised that "the lack of facilities such as coal handling systems, conveyor belts, and storage for coal ash has hindered the plant's functionality."
Fuel is the basic requirement for the operation of a thermal power plant, and the North Chennai plant was designed to utilise coal as its fuel source to generate electricity cost-effectively.
"With its advanced thermal technology, we expected the plant to be 6% more efficient than other plants, requiring only 0.45 kg of coal to produce one unit of electricity, at a production cost of Rs. 6 per unit," he added.
PMK leader further noted, "Due to the absence of necessary infrastructure, the plant is currently using liquid fuel instead of coal, resulting in a production cost of Rs. 13 per unit of electricity. This contrasts sharply with the average cost of Rs. 3-4 per unit at other power plants established in Tamil Nadu over the past decade."
Anbumani Ramadoss expressed concern that the project cost for the North Chennai plant had doubled, leading to higher production costs and losses for the electricity board.
He pointed out that the state's electricity board is operating at a significant loss, approaching Rs. 2 lakh crore, and criticised both the state government and the board for their neglect and corruption.
He urged the Tamil Nadu government and the electricity board to complete pending projects, halt the purchase of expensive electricity from private sources, and take steps to make the state’s electricity board profitable.