Coal news and updates

The power crisis in the State will ease considerably with the third unit of the Ballari Thermal Power Station (BTPS) getting ready to generate 700 megawatt of power.

“The lighting-up was successfully done on Sunday and the plant will start generating power in a couple of days,” Mrutyunjaya, Executive Director, BTPS, told The Hindu .

According to him, the trial commissioning of the plant was successfully done in January this year and later, the work of stabilisation was taken up to give the final touches before the lighting-up now. It will be gradually synchronised using coal later.

The other two units, with a capacity of generating 500 mw each, are on stream.

The foundation stone for the third unit, with an estimated cost of Rs. 3,750 crore, was laid by B.S. Yeddyurappa as the then Chief Minister in May 2009.

The work on the third unit commenced in September 2010.

However, shortage of water, due to failure of rain, has been haunting power generation.

The water stored in the impounding reservoir on the BTPS premises may last 60 days and could be used to run two plants.

Now, with the third unit ready for power generation water availability is uncertain.

“We are monitoring the situation and hope for good rainfall this year. In the alternative, one 500 mw may have to be closed down to effectively manage the available water,” Mr. Mrutyunjaya said.

Source: thehindu.com