Kerala receives test dose of Koodankulam power

After years of delays, Kerala received its first allocation of power from the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) early Tuesday morning as part of a test run.
Kerala receives test dose of Koodankulam power

After years of delays, Kerala received its first allocation of power from the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) early Tuesday morning as part of a test run. Regular supply is expected to begin soon, officials of the KSEB said.  The state received a share from the total 160 MW which the nuclear power plant fed into the Southern Grid at 2.45 am on Tuesday, KSEB officials said.

“Power was fed into the Southern Grid at 2.45 am and the supply was stopped at 4.34 am.

The system has been put under observation and regular supply will start after tests, we are told,’’ a KSEB spokesperson said.

The 160 MW reached the Madakkathara sub-station in Thrissur district via Udumalpet and Palakkad as the special ‘power highway’ for evacuating Kerala’s share from KKNPP has not been completed owing to protests in Pathanamthitta and Kottayam districts. In fact, during the test on Monday, Kerala received more than its due share from the nuclear project.

As per the Gadgil formula used to determine each state’s share from Central projects, Kerala will get 133.3 MW from the first 1000 MW unit at KKNPP.

As per the original schedule, the first unit should have been commissioned in 2007. An additional 133.3 MW will come in once the second 1000 MW unit is also commissioned, taking the state’s total share to 266.6 MW.

The second unit, as per the latest schedule, is slated to be operational by March 2014.

The government is yet to finalise a package for landowners in three districts over which the 400 kV Tirunelveli-Edamon-Pallikkara-Madakkathara transmission corridor for evacuating Kerala’s share from KKNPP is planned.

The line has been drawn from Tirunelveli to Edamon in Pathanamthitta and from Pallikkara in Ernakulam district to Madakkathara.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com