Tamil Nadu power unit's early start hinges on port decision

Chennai, April 8 (IANS) The early commissioning of one of the two 600 MW thermal power units at North Chennai Thermal Power Station (NCTPS) and the easing of Tamil Nadu's power woes now hinges on the decision of Ennore Port Ltd on allowing the unloading of

a turbine component weighing around 300 tonnes at its yard, an official said Sunday.

"The stator motor - a critical component in turbine - will be transported from our Haridwar unit to the Mundra Port in Gujarat. We want to bring it by sea to Ennore Port here from where it will be transported to the project site," Anil Kumar Ghosh, general manager, Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) told IANS.

The state-owned power generator and distributor Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corp Ltd (TANGEDCO) is putting up two new power units of 600 MW each at Ennore here. BHEL is the equipment vendor.

One of the critical component of the turbine is the stator motor made at BHEL's unit at Haridwar in Uttarakhand.

Last year the stator motor for the first unit of NCTPS was sent by road by BHEL. However, the equipment fell into a river in Madhya Pradesh when the small bridge on which the truck was traveling collapsed after being unable to bear the load.

According to Ghosh, in order to avoid any such accident it was decided to send the stator motor by sea.

"The Ennore Port officials are reluctant to receive the cargo as they fear that the 300 tonne component might damage their yard. We are now trying to convince Ennore Port to receive the cargo," he said.

"We are clarifying the issue with the port officials. Also Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (the holding company of TANGEDCO) will be taking up the matter with the Ennore Port officials," Ghosh said.

Ennore Port officials were not available for comments.

According to Ghosh, the second unit at NCTPS would be commissioned first. BHEL has decided to supply another stator motor for the first unit at NCTPS.