Second thermal plant shut down in Mettur.

Coal shortage has led to the shut down of the second plant of the Mettur Thermal Power Station (MTPS) recent evening, affecting power production of 600 MW.

Already, two units of the first plant - unit two and three - with a production capacity of 420 MW (2 x 210 MW) were shut down on Sunday.

With the shut down of the second plant, which was commissioned in 2013, about 1,020 MW total power generation has been hit in the MTPS, the coal-fired power station operated by the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) Limited.

The four units of the first plant (4 x 210 MW) and the second plant (600 MW) of the MTPS have a total production capacity of 1,440 MW.

The coal stock for the MTPS is received from the North Indian States. The coal received at the Ennore port is later transported to the MTPS by goods wagons.

Official sources said that about 15,000 – 20,000 tonnes of coal was needed every day for the operation of all the five units at the MTPS. The shortage of coal was mainly due to the monsoon in Odisha, they added.

The sources said that the MTPS always used to have a coal stock of two lakh tonnes.

The meeting of P. Thangamani, State Electricity Minister with Piyush Goyal, Minister for Railways and Coal, in New Delhi recently, has raised hopes of arrival of adequate coal to Mettur soon. The Union Minister has promised steps to send 20 rakes of coal per day in the coming weeks.

The arrival of adequate stock of coal will certainly ease the situation and ensure normal functioning of all the five units, the sources added.

THE HINDU