With dip in wind energy, fall in coal stocks, TN stares at power crisis

With the windmills generating only an abysmal 1.2 per cent of the installed capacity, alarm bells have rung in the State Government over the 60 per cent shortage in the supply of coal from the Centre.

According to the data from the State Load Dispatch Centre, Tamil Nadu generated 13,751 MW of electricity on Thursday and 13,924 MW of electricity on Friday against the total installed capacity of 18,204 MW. The trouble the power managers were faced with was that wind energy generation on Friday was just around 100 MW against an installed capacity of 8,255 MW.

As coal supply was only seven-eight rakes as opposed to 20 rakes that Tamil Nadu was supposed to get, the thermal power stations managed by the State-run power utility TANGEDCO could generate only 2,510 MW on Thursday and 2,875 MW on Friday – installed capacity is 4,320 MW.

Latching on to the issue that has resonance among the people, political rivals led by principal opposition party, the DMK, have been targeting the government with allegations of undeclared power shutdowns across the State.

However, a senior TANGEDCO official claimed the situation would ease in the near future, as the government was all set to import coal. “The government has planned to procure 30 lakh tonnes to battle the deficit of coal from the Centre. The tender will be floated soon,” said the official on condition of anonymity.

Incidentally, a few days ago, Electricity Minister P Thangamani had issued a statement refuting allegations levelled by Stalin about Tamil Nadu ready to face power shortage due to corruption and irregularities in the procurement of coal. 

Clarifying that parts of the State saw power outage on Monday and Tuesday as a result of a combination of factors including low wind power generation and scheduled annual maintenance in the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant and Vallur thermal power station, the minister had stated that the shortage faced was temporary and unforeseen.