Unit III of fire-hit Thoothukudi thermal plant in TN likely to resume operations today

Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) Chairman and Managing Director J Radhakrishnan told TNIE that a team of officials has been working at the site for the past three days.

A massive fire broke out at the Thoothukudi Government Thermal Power Plant, severely damaging Units 1 and 2. Firefighters rushed to the scene to control the blaze, while officials assessed the extent of the damage. No casualties have been reported so far. Photo | V.KARTHIKALAGU

CHENNAI: Unit III of the Thoothukudi Thermal Power Station (TTPS) is likely to restart power generation from Wednesday, after a fire accident shut down three units — each with a capacity of 210 MW — on March 15. Units I and II are still under repair, according to official sources.

Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) Chairman and Managing Director J Radhakrishnan told TNIE that a team of officials has been working at the site for the past three days.

“We have started generating power in small quantities, but the unit has not yet reached its full capacity. We hope to resume full operations soon,” he said. With electricity demand of TN increasing daily, resuming operations in Unit III will be beneficial, Radhakrishnan added.

A senior official said that while the third unit is ready, the first two units are still under repair. “Most of the cables and machinery were severely damaged in the fire. Efforts are on to restore full operations,” he added.