CHENNAI: Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has announced that the repair works being carried out at the Mettur Thermal Power Station have been completed and that it would begin producing its full capacity of 840 MW by May 31. In a press statement on Monday, Jayalalithaa expressed her joy that the power plant had been repaired within a short period on her instructions.
A fire accident at the plant on May 10 had gutted the coal handling unit and the conveyor belt, apart from destroying electrical and control system cables, Jayalalithaa had told the Assembly hours after the accident. She had also said furnace oil and steel pipes at the installation had been damaged. Jayalalithaa had assured the Assembly that the repair works would be completed in a month.
“At that point some newspapers had opined that it would take two months to finish the repair works. I had instructed the officials to take up the repair works on a war footing so that TN could get the 840 MW of power,” her statement said.
She added that according to her instructions, 350 tonnes of steel waste was cleared by May 14 and repair work was started. “The works were carried out at an increased pace across three shifts every day. As a result, a section of the power plant, generating 210 MW, has started functioning today morning. The other three sections will begin operations in phases and by May 31 the plant will start generating its full capacity of 840 MW,” said Jayalalithaa.