State electricity board requires Rs 15,000cr for adding 2,250Mw by 2010-11.
The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) is planning to add 4,250 mega watt (Mw) of power generating capacity over the next five years in phases to address the power shortage in the state. The board would require over Rs 15,000 crore for adding 2,250Mw by 2010-11.
In his special address at Energy Summit 2008 organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) here on Monday, Shiv Das Meena, executive director, TNEB, said the current installed capacity in the state was slightly over 10,000 Mw. However, according to reports, the demand for power is over 10,122 Mw.
Apart from the central power generating stations that are falling short of the demand, the failure of southwest monsoon too has aggravated the situation. According to industry sources, central power plants are supplying 1,000Mw as against the required 2,825Mw while the monsoon has resulted in a shortage of 1,500 Mw.
Meena said the Kudankulam nuclear power project in Tirunelveli district, which is likely to be commissioned by early 2009, would ease the power situation in the state. The total investment in the project would be around Rs 13,000 crore. In 2009-10, the board, along with Kudankulam project, is expected to add another 1,250Mw to the grid.
Similarly, over 3,000Mw will be added to the grid in two phases by 2011-12. This will be met by the board's 600Mw unit, which is coming up in the north Chennai thermal power plant at a cost of Rs 2,475 crore, a 600Mw power plant at the Mettur thermal power station, 1,600Mw plant at Udangudi and another 1,000Mw through augmenting capacity at TNEB's thermal power station in Tuticorin.
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Besides, the state government is planning to source 200-300Mw from third party sales and another 200Mw from the power trading corporation, Meena said.
However, Manikam Ramaswami, chairman, CII–Tamil Nadu, felt the power shortage would continue for the next 4-5 years. The domestic power consumption, which is currently around 300Mw, is increasing by the day, he said adding the state government's free television distribution initiative alone had increased the power consumption by 200Mw.
The IT industry should benchmark themselves in terms of per seat power consumption, suggested Ramaswami. The two-day seminar focusing on energy efficiency in electrical system was inaugurated here today.