CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has approved a proposal to increase the overall capacity of the Udangudi supercritical thermal power project by 560 MW to 4,520 MW by upgrading the four units planned under Stages II and III from 660 MW to 800 MW each, Electricity Minister CTR Nirmal Kumar said on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters at the secretariat, the minister said planning for the expansion had begun, stressing the need to increase the state’s own power generation capacity. The project could take six to seven years to complete, he added.
The Udangudi project was initially planned in three stages, each comprising two 660 MW units, taking the total installed capacity to 3,960 MW (6x660 MW).
The first 660 MW unit under Stage I achieved the required Commercial Operation Declaration (COD) standards in September, while work on the second unit is under way. With the proposed revision, the combined capacity of the four units under Stages II and III will increase from 2,640 MW (4x660 MW) to 3,200 MW (4x800 MW).
The board has also approved floating tenders for the projects under the public-private partnership (PPP) mode. Tamil Nadu Power Generation Corporation Ltd (TNPGCL) will appoint a consultancy agency through the Tamil Nadu Infrastructure Development Board (TNIDB) to prepare the Detailed Feasibility Report (DFR) and Detailed Project Report (DPR), besides carrying out surveys and investigations.
The consultancy assignment will also cover obtaining statutory clearances, preparing tender specifications, floating tenders under the PPP mode, evaluating bids, awarding contracts and undertaking post-award activities. The projects will be implemented through the tariff-based competitive bidding (TBCB) route.
Nirmal Kumar said the state’s own power generation stood at around 5,300 MW, with the remaining demand met through external sources, including solar and wind power, the central power grid and other power stations.
He also said the state had finalised plans to buy electricity from October 15 to 31 at `33-`35 per unit to meet demand. A day earlier, the minister had said the power utility planned to procure around 1,500 MW during the period. The proposed procurement had since been finalised at 1,000 MW, he added.
Left parties flay state, centre for failing to meet rising power demand
Chennai: CPI and the CPM have criticised the state government’s reported plan to purchase 4,500 MW of electricity at an average price of `35 per unit to meet the power shortage, calling it an unfair burden on the public. The Left parties blamed the centre and the state for failing to increase power generation to meet rising demand.
They urged the state government to expand public sector power generation and ensure affordable electricity for consumers. In a statement, CPM state secretary P Shanmugam said the procurement price was shockingly high, noting that electricity generated through various sources in India generally costs between `2.45 and `5.30 per unit. He urged the government and the TNPGCL to cancel the proposed purchase and secure power at a reasonable price. ENS
