Tuticorin - Nagai Thermal Power Plant
The MEIL is establishing hydropower and solar power plants across India, as part of the works it was awarded by various state governments. The company has left a mark in the field of power generation, supply, and distribution. Gradually it is extending its wings into generating thermal power in different parts of India.
Thermal power plants are being built with advanced technology, which will have a lesser impact on the environment. The MEIL established two thermal power plants in Tamil Nadu—Tuticorin (525-MW) and Nagai (150-MW).
In Tamil Nadu, the 525-MW capacity thermal plant is coal-based. This was built for SEPC Power Private Limited in Tuticorin. Power generated at this plant is for the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited (TANGEDCO) to meet the requirement of the State. The project is located 10 km from Thoothukudi town (Tuticorin). An extent of 90 acres of land was taken on lease from VO Chidambaranar Port Trust for the project.
The MEIL has installed a coal jetty, conveyor, cooling water system, 500 tonnes per hour (TPH) coal handling plant, seawater intake of 6,700 cumecs, and cooling water system with a capacity of 66,000 cumecs. About 15,000 tonnes of steel were used and a 10-km-long pipeline system was established.
A long chimney, 275 meters in height, with modern standards to reduce pollution, was constructed. Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) manufactured the 1,700-TPH-capacity boiler and 555-MW-capacity turbine generator for this power plant. A 100-hectare plot was acquired at Kariseri village in Vadakku, to build an ash pond. The Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited (TANGEDCO) also entrusted the laying of the 48-km-long 400 kV transmission line to the MEIL.
For this, the SEPC drew up an agreement with the TSEB for a period of 30 years. Contracts were settled with domestic and foreign companies to supply coal for the project. With the successful boiler hydro-testing conducted on December 28, 2018, nearly 90 percent of the work is completed. The MEIL will soon complete the electro-mechanical works and make the plant available for power generation.
The MEIL has completed the construction of the 150-MW-capacity Nagai Thermal Power Plant and successfully connected it to the power grid to meet the electricity demand of Tamil Nadu. The MEIL, in a joint venture with KVK Energy and Infrastructure, completed the plant on an EPC basis.
The Nagai Thermal Power Plant is 15 kms from Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu. The plant can be easily accessed through rail, road, and air routes. As it has easy access to the railways, it was very easy to import coal. The MEIL installed a 125-meter-tall chimney, 530 TPH capacity boilers, and an air-cooled condenser. A turbine generator with 150-MW capacity designed by the BHEL was established at the plant.
The MEIL supplied 3,700 tonnes of steel for the construction of the plant from its production unit. To supply power generated from the plant, a 24.6-km-long transmission line has been laid to the 230 kV substation, situated at Thiruvooru. The MEIL has also built a storage facility with a capacity of 114 TPH to store coal sufficiently for a week.
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