CHENNAI: Steps have been taken to compensate the initial delay in the setting up of the 1,500 MW Vallur Ultra Super Thermal Power Plant and the project would go on stream ahead of schedule, TNEB chairman CP Singh said on Tuesday.
On occasion of the installation of the 216-ton mega boiler drum of the first unit at the Vallur plant site, Singh told reporters that work on all the three units of the Rs 8,000-crore project was on.
“Though there was delay of about six months in executing the project, this would be overcome and the plant is likely to commence operations by two months in advance.” The Vallur thermal plant in Ponneri Taluk of Tiruvallur District is an initiative of the NTPC Tamil Nadu Energy Limited (NTECL), a joint venture company of the NTPC and the TNEB.
Unit I will be commissioned by October 2010, Unit II by March 2011 and Unit III is likely to begin work by September 2011. The land acquisition process was over.
The TNEB would buy 1,125 MW of power out of the 1,500 MW and the rest would go to the Central pool. The indicative tariff would be Rs 2.72 per unit subject to final computation of cost and other factors. The Centre has given coal linkage from the Mahanadi Coal fields. While the Centre would meet 70 per cent of the coal requirement, the rest has to be procured by the NTECL.
NTECL CEO N Suryanarayanan said that the initial delay was due to the tough soil condition due to decades of salt cultivation in the project site. Hence, it took considerable time to level the place with fly ash.
The next major milestone will be the hydraulic test in the mega device after erection of pressure parts inside it. It is expected that the project would be speeded up by two to three months. A desalination plant would also be set up to meet the needs of the thermal unit.