CHENNAI: With a view to make Tamil Nadu self-sufficient in power generation and as part of efforts to realise the objective envisioned in Vision 2023 to have installed capacity of 20,000 MW, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Tuesday announced that an ultra mega thermal power project to generate 4,000 MW would be set up at Nallampatti village in Kadaladi taluk in Ramanathapuram district, at an estimated cost of Rs 24,000 crore. The new project would come up in 3,000 acres of land.
Jayalalithaa informed this to the Assembly while making a suo motu statement under Rule 110 and said that to strengthen the power infrastructure in the State, sub-stations would be established at a cost of Rs 6,791 crore.
In North Chennai, a pooling substation with a capacity of 3 X 1,500 MVA would be established at a cost of Rs 2,335 crore. This station would be connected to the substation at Ariyalur and the substation at Puliyanthope to evacuate power generated at thermal power stations in North Chennai and in Ennore.
Further, a substation with a capacity of 2 X 1,500 MVA would be set up at Ariyalur at a cost of Rs 2,121.45 crore. This would be connected to the substation at Tiruvalam to evacuate power generated in Ennore and North Chennai thermal power stations.
Yet another substation with a capacity of 2 X 1,500 MVA would be set up in Coimbatore district at a cost of Rs 2,335 crore. This would be linked to the substations at Ariyalur, Edaiyarpalayam and Rasipalayam and would strengthen the power infrastructure in Coimbatore, Salem and Mettur regions.
The CM recalled that during the past four years, the government headed by her had added 5,954.5 MW of power to the grid through TNEB, joint venture projects and with share from Central power projects besides power purchase. By these measures, quality and uninterrupted power supply has been ensured for consumers.
Taking into account the ever-increasing demand, the State had proposed many new projects. Of these, construction works are underway for the 660 MW Ennore Thermal Power Extension Project and the 2 X 660 MW Ennore Special Economic Zone Thermal Power project.