CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board's generating capacity is set to go up by at least 3,000 megawatt (MW) in the next five years with three additional units for Ennore and Tuticorin thermal power stations getting approval.

The board is carrying out spadework for projects at the Mettur and North Chennai thermal power plants and in the Kundah group of hydel plants.

For implementing all the expansion projects, an investment of Rs. 12,000 crore will be made, considering that the average cost of one MW is Rs. 4 crore.

While Tuticorin will have two more units of 500 MW each, Ennore, Mettur and North Chennai will get one additional unit of the same capacity. At Kundah, there will be four units of 125 MW. These projects will be in addition to the TNEB's participation in a few joint venture schemes.

At present, the TNEB's plants — hydro, coal-fired and gas-based — have the total capacity of generating 5,550 MW. Besides, the State gets power from the private sector, stations run under the Central sector and other sources, accounting for around 4,530 MW. Apart from them, the total capacity of windmills, biomass and solar plants and co-generation units is about 3,365 MW.

In the case of the projects in Ennore and Tuticorin, the board will initiate the process of selecting consultants soon, sources say.

They will prepare detailed project reports (DPRs) and provide specifications of the proposed plants.

Global bids for the 1000-MW joint venture project of the TNEB and the National Thermal Power Corporation at Ennore are likely to be floated in a few months, say the sources.

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