Rs 7,000 cr underground hydel power station planned

In an effort to address power woes of the state, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today said the government planned a Rs 7,000 crore underground hydel power station in Nilgiris district besides the ongoing related schemes, which in all will cost over Rs 20,000 crore.
The first unit of North Chennai Thermal Power plant, third unit of Vallur project and 2x 500 MW each of Tuticorin Power project would start generating power between next month and March 2014, she told the state Assembly.
Making a suo motu statement, she said works towards other major power generation projects have been expedited with international tenders called for the proposed 660 MW Ennore project, the 2x660 MW Ennore SEZ Project and 2x660 MW Udankudi Thermal Power Projects.

Work is on at the 2x800 MW power project at Uppur in Ramanathapuram district, she added.
Jayalalithaa proposed the Sillahalla 2000 MW underground power station at Nilgiris district which will come up at an estimated cost of Rs 7000 crore. The project will be completed in two phases in 8-10 years.
Explaining the technical aspects, she said a 2.25 tmcft water storage reservoir would be created on river Sillahalla, a tributary of Kundah and connected to the Avalanche-Emerald reservoirs. A 2750 metre tunnel would be established for this purpose.
In the second phase, another 2000 MW hydel power station would be set up using the 1500 metre height between Sillahalla and Pillur reservoirs, she said.

Surplus power from windmills and thermal and nuclear units at night would be utilised to draw water to the upper storage facility, which would be used to produce power during peak demand times, she added.