Summer sorted: N Chennai power plant fit to operate

Chennai: This summer, Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Ltd (TNPDCL) has another power source to bank upon to meet the surge in demand. The 800-megawatt (MW) Stage III North Chennai Thermal Power Station (NCTPS) has finally been declared fit for commercial operations on Monday.

While Chennai’s power demand will cross 4,000MW during the summer months, there can be an assured generation of up to 800MW at the new plant. So far, Chennai had to depend largely upon NCTPS Stage I (630MW) and Stage II (1,200MW) to meet power requirements and the remaining is met by costly power purchases and central share. This summer, the state’s power demand is expected to cross 22,000MW.