CM urged to look into Dabhol power plant

CM urged to look into Dabhol power plant -Pune-Cities-The Times of India

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CM urged to look into Dabhol power plant
16 Dec 2008, 0229 hrs IST, TNN


PUNE: City-based Sajag Nagrik Manch on Monday urged chief minister Ashok Chavan to urgently look into the problems plaguing the Ratnagiri Gas and Power Pvt Ltd (RGPPL/Dabhol) to ensure that the plant starts generating more power before the onset of summer.

In a letter sent to Chavan, Vivek Velankar, founder SNM, said that Maharashtra was going through a serious power shortage, resulting in unbearable load-shedding throughout the state. "Every megawatt of power is very important and from that angle, RGPPL or Dabhol power plant, needs your urgent attention," he wrote.

As per the information available in the daily system report on the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd's (MSEDCL) website, Dabhol has been generating 320 MW power per day as against its installed capacity of 2100 MW.

Velankar stated that Dabhol plant has three blocks, each with installed capacity of 700 MW. Each block has three turbines two gas turbines and one steam turbine. "As per information available with SNM, in block 1, gas turbine 1 A is not working and has been under repair for the last two years. Recently all the required parts have reached Dabhol. It needs to get started as quickly as possible," the letter said.

Gas turbine 1B is working and generating 200 MW power. The steam turbine is based on both gas turbines and as one of the gas turbines is not working, the steam turbine's output is at 100 MW, Velankar stated.

He said that in Block 2, gas turbine 2A was not working and has been under repair for the last six months. It may not be in working condition for a couple of more months. Gas turbine 2B has been under maintenance for the last 15 days and was supposed to be back in operation by the end of this month, according to a statement released by MSEDCL just before the maintenance work started.

"The steam turbine is based on both gas turbines and as both the gas turbines are not in working condition today the output of the steam turbine is nil. If gas turbine 2B is back in operation by end of this month, then the steam turbine's output will be 100 MW," the letter said.

"In block 3 both the gas turbines 3A and 3B have been out of order since last 15 days", Velankar pointed out adding that as steam turbine was based on both gas turbines the out put of steam turbine was nil.

He further stated that currently only one gas and one steam turbine in block 1 was in working condition producing 300 MW power. "Considering the installed capacity of 2100 MW ; this is serious . Hence we request you to kindly take up the matter strongly with National thermal power corporation (NTPC) and the union energy ministry for immediate action on their side so that at least by end of this month Gas turbine 1A and 2 B are functional and from 2009 we can start getting another 600 MW power", the letter said.

The letter said that the problems in block 3, where both gas turbines were down; repairs and ordering of required parts needed to be done on a war footing with sustained follow-up so that another 600 MW becomes available from April 2009.