TALCHER : The State is likely to plunge into a severe power crisis if the proposed wind up plan of 460 mw Talcher Thermal Power Station (TTPS) takes place in 2021.Set up in 1967, the plant initially was owned by Odisha State Electricity Board and in 1995, it was taken over by National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC). The plant, designed in an old way, is set to complete 50 years in 2017.
What is crucial for the State is that not only it gets total power generated from this plant as per the power purchase agreement but also at a very cheap rate. After five years, if it winds up without an alternative plant, it will certainly affect the State very badly in all respects, said power experts.
Group General Manager of TTPS, Ram Kuber informed mediapersons here on Friday that as per the norms of Central Electrical Authority (CEA) and Central Government, the plant will close in 2021. “CEA takes the decision on age, efficiency and design of the power plant. It has decided to close the plant from 2021 as per the norm,” said the GGM.
The only solution is the proposed expansion project which should come up early, he said adding the two 660 mw units under the expansion plan is hanging fire for years due to want of coal linkage, he added.
Kuber said if all goes well, the process for plant expansion will begin in the current financial year. There will be a fresh public hearing as the first one, which was conducted two years back, lapsed.
Kuber said, Talcher power plant stood number one in India in fiscal 2015-16 with the plant load factor of 93.15 per cent. Since 2008-09, the plant has been running above 90 per cent PLF.
Claiming that there is 100 per cent ash utilisation, he said ash emission from the chimney is under the prescribed limit of State Pollution Control Board which monitors the plant through its online system.
The plant head also mentioned that due to coal shortage of the plant, particularly during the strike period at Talcher Coalfield, they had to shut down the unit and regulate power generation. Senior TTPS official, including Human Resource Development head PK Mahapatra, attended the press conference among others.