CHENNAI: The 660 MW supercritical Ennore Thermal Power Station (ETPS) expansion project, which has suffered multiple delays, is being pursued afresh by Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Ltd (TANGEDCO). An Expert Appraisal Committee of the Union Environment Ministry for thermal power projects, has issued fresh Terms of Reference (ToR) and will have to follow the entire process all over again to obtain environment clearance.
The project costing Rs 5,421.38 cr, is languishing since 2009 and exhausted all the extensions permitted under Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification. The environmental clearance granted will expire on June 2, 2019, and the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance just expired on December 22. The work had come to a complete standstill for over a year now after M/s Lanco Infra Tech Ltd, which was awarded the work for a value of `3,921.55 cr, faced financial crisis and Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP) was initiated by IDBI Bank at National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Hyderabad, and work was stopped from August 7, 2017.
As of now, only 17 per cent of physical progress was made at the site by the contractor and 18 per cent payment (Rs 703 crore), has been made to them so far. This has forced TANGEDCO to terminate the contract on April 9, 2018. Now, the power corporation has called for open tenders to take up the balance project works.
No exemptions granted
Meanwhile, K Subash Chandra Bose, Chief Engineer (Projects-I), TANGEDCO, in a letter, a copy of which is available with Express, has sought exemption from conducting public fresh hearing and permit the power corporation to approach the ministry directly for environmental and Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance without again approaching district level and State-level CRZ committee. However, the ministry has turned down the request. The EAC has asked the TANGEDCO to conduct the public hearing and also carry out a cumulative impact assessment for ETPS in additional to the industries located within 10 km radius.
Project details
■ The 660 MW project will be constructed in 90 acres of land which includes 6 acres for a corridor of pipelines and conveyor systems outside the plant boundary
■The area for the ash dyke already available for the existing plant, will be used for disposing the wet bottom ash regularly and 50% dry fly ash in case of emergency
■ There is no need for additional land acquisition for this project
■ There are no rehabilitation or resettlement issues involved in this project
■ The distances of Ennore backwaters, Kosasthaliyar river, and Bay of Bengal, from the project boundary, are 70 m, 575 m and 815 m respectively
■ The laying of seawater intake and outfall pipelines and coal conveyors through CRZ area, is required for the power project