In three months, plants set to add 1320 MW power

might be some respite next summer from power cuts as two 660 MW thermal power plants are slated to go on stream in the next four months. The 660 MW supercritical unit of Chhabra Thermal Power Plant is expected to be commissioned by the end of this month while another 660 MW supercritical unit of Suratgarh Thermal Power Station will go on stream in January next year, officials said.

The addition 1,320 MW capacity by Rajasthan Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd (RUVNL) will ease power woes. The new units will improve the overall efficiency of both the thermal plants.

“The 660 MW supercritical unit is in the testing stage and we expect the COD (commercial operation date) by the end of this month,” chief engineer (CTTP) Pramod Kumar told HT. Another under-construction unit of 660 MW at CTTP is expected to be commissioned in June 2018.

The commissioning of 660 MW supercritical unit at Suratgarh thermal power station is expected in January 2018, an RVUN official said. The unit was initially scheduled for commissioning in September 2016. Another 660 MW unit at Suratgarh will go on stream in next four to five months.

“There were a number of reasons for the delay. Coal is not an issue now,” said a senior RVUN official, who did not wish to be named.

BHEL is the EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) contractor for both the projects.

“The RVUN has made the capital expenditure of ₹1,588 crore for construction of the four supercritical units of 660 MW each at Suratgarh and Chhabra,” RVUN chairman and managing director N K Kothari said.

In January, a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between NTPC, RVUN and Rajasthan Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd for the transfer of units at CTPP to NTPC.

Under the MoU, four units of 250 MW each of the CTTP will be transferred to NTPC in the first phase while two units of 660 MW each will be transferred after commissioning.

In September and October, Rajasthan faced acute power shortage when the production capacity of the thermal units dropped by 3,000 MW due to coal shortage.

According to sources, the thermal power stations faced a critical shortage of coal as heavy rains in coal-producing states like Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh had flooded the mines. The situation returned to normal in the last week of October.

JAIPUR:There