Mettur power plant achieves full capacity in trial run

Tamil Nadu is facing a shortfall of around 3,000 Megawatt

The trial run of the 600-Mw Mettur Thermal Power Station (MTPS) in Tamil Nadu on Thursday achieved full capacity.

“Our plant constructed for the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board’s generation and distribution arm Tangedco at Mettur has achieved full load successfully during the trial,” said a senior official from the BGR Energy System, the private firm building project. The contact value for BGR is around Rs 3,100 crore.

The Rs 3,550 crore-project would help the state, which is currently facing a shortfall of around 3,000 Megawatt.

The demand for power in the state is around 11,000 Mw, of which 8,000 Mw is generated from various sources, including 840 Mw from the two stages of MTPS.

BGR took up the Stage 3 work in 2008 and the trial run was to be done in May 2011. The plant was scheduled to be commissioned in June 2011. But the work was delayed and the company got exemption for six months from paying the fine, according to reports.