Raipur, July 15 (Inditop.com) A 500-MW power plant near here stopped generating electrictiy merely two days after it was dedicated to the nation Sunday because of a severe shortage of coal.
The plant, set up by NTPC-SAIL Power Co Ltd (NSPCL) – a joint venture between power utility NTPC Ltd and Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) – is located at Bhilai in Durg district, some 30 km west of Raipur.
Full load generation of 500 MW began July 12 after Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde dedicated the plant to nation at a function.
“It was producing 250 MW till July 12, but now generation has stopped totally since Tuesday due to coal shortage,” said project general manager V.D. Paranjape.
“It will take about a week to resume production as we are in talks with companies like South Eastern Coalfields to improve supply,” Paranjape told Inditop over phone.
He, however, declined to explain the reason behind the coal shortage. The project needs three million tonnes of the feedstock annually.
Of the 500 MW generated, 280 MW is to go to state-owned SAIL’s Bhilai Steel Plant, 100 MW to the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, 70 MW to the union territory Daman and Diu, and the remaining 50 MW to Chhattisgarh.
