Fire breaks out at Ennore coal yard, contained swiftly

CHENNAI: After battling throughout the night, the firefighters doused the fire that broke out in the yard for imported coal at the Ennore thermal power station on Monday afternoon. Tamil Nadu Electricity Board chairman and MD J Radhakrishnan said on Tuesday that the fire was contained with minimal damage and without affecting power generation.

The fire was reported around 3 pm in a section storing imported coal, which is prone to spontaneous combustion due to its high calorific value. Firefighting operations were launched immediately and continued through the night, with the blaze brought under control by early morning. Cooling and monitoring operations are continuing to prevent any residual internal combustion.

After inspecting the site to review fire-dousing operations along with Tamil Nadu Power Generation Corporation Limited managing director Govind Rao, CMD Radhakrishnan issued directions to ensure complete extinguishing of the fire, continuous monitoring, and strict adherence to safety protocols, while emphasising coordination among all teams to prevent recurrence.

“No loss of life or injury has been reported, and power generation continued uninterrupted throughout the incident,” Radhakrishnan said, adding that the swift and coordinated response by Fire and Rescue Services, Metro Water and plant personnel

Radhakrishnan said preliminary assessment indicated that the damage was confined to the top layer of the heap and restricted to less than 5 per cent of the stock helped avert a major accident.

The authorities deployed 11 fire engines and 19 water tankers in a large-scale firefighting operation, and officials said the in-house desalination facility ensured an adequate water supply.

Radhakrishnan said preliminary assessment indicated that the damage was confined to the top layer of the coal heap and restricted to less than 5 per cent of the stock, though detailed evaluation is under way. Officials said the affected area was contained within a limited portion of the yard, preventing the spread of fire to other sections. Continuous vigilance and preventive measures are being maintained, officials added.

The coal yard has a storage capacity of about 10 lakh tonnes, with around 6 lakh tonnes currently available. This includes nearly 1 lakh tonnes of imported coal. Indigenous coal stock sufficient for about 25–28 days is available from Mahanadi and Singareni collieries, while imported coal stock sufficient for around 75 days is in place. A steady pipeline of about 10 ships continues to ensure regular replenishment.