ANGUL: Nine days ahead of its planned closure, Talcher Thermal Power Station (TTPS) shut down all six units of the 460 MW plant from Tuesday morning leading to a power crisis in the State.
The authorities claimed the plant was shut down due to non-availability of manpower to feed coal to the units.
A top TTPS official said, “We started shutting down the units from midnight. By Tuesday morning, all the six units were shut down. The decision was taken as contractual workers are on strike opposing the plant’s closure, thereby affecting coal intake of the units seriously.”
Clarifying that the plant was not closed but shut down, he said talks are underway with the agitating workers to call off their protest and run the units.
Meanwhile, the shut down has hit supply of 460 MW of power to the State. Odisha draws all power generated from TTPS at a very cheap rate since 1995.
The lifespan of TTPS, a unit of National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), expires on March 31 as per the guidelines of Central Electrical Regulatory Commission (CERC).
The authorities have completed preparations for the closure and even served notices to all the contractual employees numbering around 2,000.
On the other hand, fate of the proposed 1,320 MW new plant in place of TTPS is uncertain with NTPC showing little interest in expansion project.
In 2018, NTPC had floated tender for the project at a cost of Rs 8,900 crore. However, no progress could be made as the State government failed to give clearance to the proposal.
In February 2020, Odisha government gave its nod to the new plant but NTPC seems to be lacking interest in the project.
Sources said there are disagreements between the State government and NTPC over tariff and other issues which have become a roadblock for the project.
Locals under the leadership of Dhenkanal MP Mahesh Sahu have launched agitation for retention of TTPS and initiation of the new power plant.