CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has announced that a public hearing will be held in Ernavur on December 20 for the expansion of Tangedco’s 660 MW Ennore Thermal Power Station Expansion Project.

According to the notice issued by the TNPCB, the public hearing will be held at 11 am at Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Maligai in Ernavur on December 20.

The public hearing comes after a similar meeting scheduled on April 12, 2022, was deferred by the Chennai district administration due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The move to hold a public hearing is being taken amid the Tangedco plan to revive the stalled ETPS Expansion Project under the Public Private Partnership model. Tangedco has sought SBI Capital Markets Ltd to prepare a detailed feasibility report for this project.

The project’s Environment Clearance (EC) expired on June 2, 2019 and since then, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) has instructed Tangedco to obtain a fresh clearance for the 660 MW thermal power project. The Ministry exempted the project from conducting public hearings and granted the EC on December 11, 2019, for seven years.

The National Green Tribunal in September 2021 mandated a public hearing for this project, rejecting the MoEF exemption to conduct a public hearing for the ETPS Expansion project.

Disposing of the petition filed by Ennore resident RL Srinivasan, who sought cancellation of environment clearance, NGT, in the order, gave Tangedco the liberty to proceed with the construction activity but has been restrained from operating the plant until the public hearing is conducted and environment clearance is revised.