The Hindu : Karnataka News : RTPS to step up generation of power

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 11, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka

RTPS to step up generation of power

Staff Correspondent

RAICHUR: Power generation at the Raichur Thermal Power Station (RTPS) is likely to be stepped up from Wednesday following an improvement in the coal supply position.

Official sources said here on Tuesday that there has been an acute shortage of coal for the past two months because of increased demand from various thermal plants in the country. The situation has forced the RTPS to curtail power generation. Three of the seven units (210 MW each) have been shut down and the remaining units are being run below their installed capacity, generating about 17 million units (mu) of power daily.

The sources said the supply of coal has improved in the past two days and RTPS officials are thinking of increasing power generation from the thermal plant. The coal stock position has improved to 60,000 tonnes. The thermal plant received 14,000 tonnes (four rakes) of coal on Sunday and 24,500 tonnes (seven rakes) on Monday.

The second, sixth and seventh units of the RTPS have been shut down. The sixth unit is likely to be restarted and it will attain full load by Wednesday, enhancing the total power generation to about 21 mu daily. The remaining two units will be put back in operation soon depending on the arrival of coal, the sources said.

A shortage of rail wagons is one of the reasons hindering the arrival of coal from various coalmines. About 70 per cent of the total requirement of coal for the thermal plant is procured from Singareni Collieries and Western Coalfields.

The sources said Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd. (KPCL) has sent a team of officials headed by S.M. Jafrulla, Technical Director, to raise the matter of shortage of wagons with the Railway authorities.

On the proposed import of coal for the RTPS, the sources said power generation from the thermal plant would not have suffered if the proposal had been finalised a little earlier. KPCL will place an order with the approved agency this month to import coal. The imported coal will arrive only after a few months, the sources added.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka