CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Power Generation Corporation Limited (TNPGCL) has given its approval to spend Rs 264 crore to restore the decades-old Units I and II of Thoothukudi Thermal Power Station which are remaining shut since March 15 following a fire accident.
As per an internal note, accessed by TNIE, the TNPGCL board has granted administrative approval to revamp the two units.
Tamil Nadu Electricity Board chairman-cum-MD J Radhakrishnan told TNIE tenders have already been floated to select contractors. “We are planning to complete the restoration work at the earliest,” he said.
On the rationale behind investing Rs 264 crore on the two units that are over 40 years old, he said though the units are old, their performance has remained good until the fire accident. He pointed out while the fire badly damaged the control systems and cable linings, other equipment suffered only minor damages.
He said it is wiser to revive these existing ones instead of planning a new thermal plant, which would be exponentially expensive, costing around Rs 7,000 to Rs 8,000 crore.
However, Bharatiya Electricity Engineers Association state general secretary E Natarajan raised concerns over the investment on the two units, commissioned in 1979 and 1980, and are already far beyond the lifespan of 25 to 30 years. He stressed on the need for TNPGCL to make public the damage assessment reports done after the fire incident.
S Nagalsamy, former member of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission, said spending a large amount on restoring old power units is acceptable only if the plant is in good condition. “The age of a thermal plant is not always important. If the plant is producing electricity efficiently, then its lifespan does not matter,” Nagalsamy said.
The proposal includes replacement of unit control boards, high and low tension switchgears, civil structures, air-conditioning, ventilation systems, CCTV surveillance, and cable linings.