Tamil Nadu State Load Despatch Centre (TNSLDC), under Tamil Nadu Transmission Corporation Limited (Tantransco), has said that works were under way to ease transmission constraints to meet the expected power demand of 27,000 MW by 2026-27.
Southern Regional Load Despatch Centre (SRLDC), which looks after the grid functions of the southern region, had highlighted the transmission constraints, especially in Chennai and Neyveli, and called for addressing them amid increasing power demand. Tamil Nadu has the fourth-highest peak energy demand in the country and the highest energy consumption among southern States. The State saw an all-time high peak demand of 19,387 MW on April 20 this year. On the same day, the all-time high daily consumption of 423.785 million units was also recorded.
Responding to the SRLDC, the TNSLDC has said that works were at various stages of execution and administrative approval.
In respect of generation, the North Chennai Thermal Power Station Stage 3 of 800 MW is expected to be commissioned in 2023-24. The Udangudi power project of 1,200 MW (600 MW x2) and Kundah Pump Storage Project (4x125=800 MW) are expected to come on stream in 2024-25. At present, Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited (Tangedco) has a thermal generation capacity of 4,320 MW.
Substation works
The TNSLDC said that substation works were under way in Guindy, Taramani, North Chennai, Korattur and Avadi among other places. The Cuddalore 400 kV substation and Ariyalur 400/230 kV substation are awaiting administrative approval. The commissioning of Cuddalore and Ariyalur systems would relieve the major constraints, it added. Meanwhile, the SRLDC has said that Tamil Nadu was meeting a demand of 20,000 MW, drawing 14,000 MW of power from the Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) network. After commissioning of Cuddalore substation, the demand may reach 24,000-25,000 MW and around 16,000-18,000 MW may be drawn from the ISTS. It will be more than double the Available Transfer Capability (ATC) of 8,000 MW, it added. ATC means the transfer capability of the inter-control area transmission system available for scheduling commercial transactions in a specific direction, taking into account the network security. The SLDC said that it had submitted a proposal to enhance the ATC by at least 2,000 MW in two years, while the SRLDC sought framing of short-term/real-time plans to mitigate transmission constraints.
The SRLDC warned that if the Union Ministry of Power and higher bodies, in the future, instruct that the withdrawal of power may be limited to their ATC, Tamil Nadu would enter a critical situation.
