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Tamil Nadu power plants at risk

because of coal shortages

INDIA THREE coal-fired power plants in the Indian The construction work on the upcoming
state of Tamil Nadu are unable to go online coal-fired North Chennai stage III is already
because of government caps on coal mining complete, while the two other thermal projects
output. – Ennore Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and
Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Udangudi – are nearly (95%) finished.
Corporation (TANGEDCO) has complained The Tamil Nadu government has sketched
that it is unable to operate up to 3,440 MW of out plans to commence North Chennai stage III
capacity. project work before May 2022 and the others by
The three plants can consume up to 40,000 the end of the year.
tonnes per day of coal, but TANGEDCO has A senior official said in 2019 TANGEDCO
been unable to source coal from the Chan- had floated a tender worth INR210bn ($3.9) to
drabilla coal block because of delays in its hand over the Chandrabilla coal mine project.
development. The tender process drew a blank and no bid-
India’s power plants are facing widespread ders came forward. Subsequently, the pandemic
coal shortages because of delays in tendering and delayed the tendering process, the official added.
licensing procedures. Recently, the Odisha government conducted
TANGEDCO has now asked both the federal a virtual meeting with TANGEDCO officials
and Odisha state governments to develop an ear- and the government officials, and discussed the
lier-allotted coal block in Angul in Odisha. new course of action.
“The three new thermal stations, with a total The power utility requested Odisha to extend
generation capacity of 3,440 MW, will need at a helping hand to seek clearance from the Forest
least 30,000 to 40,000 tonnes of additional coal Department. “Earlier this month, Tamil Nadu
every day,” a senior TANGEDCO official told Electricity Minister V Senthil Balaji along with
The New Indian Express. TANGEDCO chairman Rajesh Lakhani met
Sources in TANGEDCO said the Centre Union power minister RK Singh in Delhi. They
allotted Chandrabilla coal block to the state urged him to take steps in this regard. Hope the
power utility in 2016. The given period to exca- process of commencing Chandrabilla coal block
vate coal from the block was between 2016 and will be completed as early as possible,” the official
2021. said.
But the development of the block was delayed Three existing thermal power stations, with
due to the lack of clearance for exploration in the 4,320 MW of capacity at North Chennai, Mettur
forest area by the Ministry of Environment, For- and Tuticorin, consume 62,000 tonnes of coal
est and Climate Change (MoEFCC). every day.
“If the Centre doesn’t approve Chandrabilla Recently, the country faced a serious coal
coal block quickly, TANGEDCO will have to supply constraint, and several thermal stations,
purchase the fuel from private entities,” the offi- including the ones in Tamil Nadu, were on the
cial said. verge of a shutdown.™

Week 04 26•January•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P9