Power generation has been partially restored at the Mettur Thermal Power Station, which was damaged in a fire last month.
According to an official press release, a 210 MW unit of the 840 MW power station started generating power today. The plant will be fully restored by the month-end. The power plant had to shut down following a fire in coal conveyor system on May 10. The fire, which started around 12.30 a.m., destroyed a 180-metre stretch of the coal conveyor system and related infrastructure.
Following the damage, nearly 350 tonnes of metal debris had to be cleared and the coal conveyor gallery hoisted over 46 metres.
The Chief Minister, Ms J. Jayalalithaa, said in the release the first of the 210 MW units went on line early today. The balance power generation will commence by the month-end.
Ms Jayalalithaa appreciated the work of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board for the pace of restoration work. Repairs on such a scale would normally have taken over two months but the Electricity Board officials, workers and contract labour have worked day and night to ensure the plant restarts in less than a month, she said.