CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Power Generation Corporation (TNPGC), despite facing challenges in keeping up the Plant Load Factor (PLF) at its coal-based thermal power plants, is aiming to improve efficiency by raising the PLF that indicates how much of a power plant’s full capacity is being utilised.
At a time when green energy is the trend, TNPGC hopes increasing the PLF in its coal plants will lead to more effective operations.
The corporation operates five thermal plants in north Chennai, Mettur and Thoothukudi, with a combined capacity of 4,320 MW. As of March 31, 2024, the average PLF across these plants was 67.14%
According to the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), thermal plants should ideally maintain a PLF of 85% for effective operation. However, TNPGC has been facing difficulties in reaching this target due to technical issues and the increasing shift towards green energy sources.
A senior TNPGC official told TNIE, “Over the past two years, we have improved our PLF by 7% and aim to raise it by up to 12% by the end of the financial year. To achieve this, a steady supply of coal is essential. While the union government supplies coal under the fuel supply agreement, it has also instructed us to import 6% of our coal requirement, which helps in maintaining the PLF.”
The official also highlighted technical challenges impacting power generation. “Frequent boiler tube punctures are common, especially in older plants. Each time a plant is shut down, it takes about 8 to 10 hours to restart and resume power generation. This downtime significantly impacts our ability to maintain the PLF,” the official added.
With the growing popularity of renewable energy, especially solar, keeping the PLF high in thermal power plants has become a challenge, another official from TNPGC said.
He explained, “Compared to thermal plants, the cost of solar and wind energy is cheaper (less than `3 per unit). During the wind season from May to September, TNPGC prioritises wind power procurement. Solar power is also available throughout the year, which automatically reduces the need to run thermal plants at full capacity.”
However, he noted renewable energy alone cannot meet the state’s rising power demands. “It is a high time the PLF in thermal plants is improved, and steps are being taken” the official added.