THOOTHUKUDI: Trial operations have begun at the first unit of the Udangudi supercritical thermal power plant, with a capacity of 660 MW, and the unit is likely to be commissioned in March, official sources said.
The Udangudi plant, being constructed by Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) on behalf of the Tamil Nadu Power Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO), comprises two units of 660 MW each and was taken up at a cost of Rs 13,077 crore in 2019.
It may be noted that TANGEDCO has also constructed an offshore coal jetty located about 8 km off the coast of Kallamozhi to supply coal to the power plant.
According to officials, the first unit of the Udangudi thermal power plant is nearing completion, while turbine-related works are pending for unit 2. However, the offshore coal jetty is still awaiting various operational certifications.
Meanwhile, officials from BHEL and TANGEDCO conducted a test run to assess operations and coordination among different departments involved in power generation at unit 1. As part of the process, the Udangudi plant had requested over 20,000 tonnes of coal from the Thoothukudi Thermal Power Station (TTPS).
On condition of anonymity, a senior official said that more than 10,000 tonnes of coal had been transported by road from the TTPS coal jetty to the Udangudi plant’s coal crushing unit.
As part of the trial run, the boiler at unit 1 was lighted up on Wednesday after obtaining prior permission from Power Grid authorities. The power generated from the unit was synchronised with the Southern Region power grid at 10.36 am the same day. Power generation was maintained at an average of 120 MW and reached a maximum of 200 MW, official sources said, adding that the unit was shut down at 11.30 pm on Friday and is scheduled to resume operations on Monday.
A BHEL official said the trial run at unit 1 was successful and that issues arising during the testing phase were being addressed. The official added that turbine works at unit 2 remain to be completed, while construction of the cooling tower, boilers and other components has already been completed. Coal supply through the conveyor system from the offshore Kallamozhi jetty to the crushing unit is expected once the jetty becomes operational.
Officials told TNIE that the first unit of the Udangudi thermal power plant will be commissioned by March, while the second unit is expected to be completed by May.