Jharsuguda/Lakhanpur: The Odisha Power Generation Corporation (OPGC)-owned Ib Thermal Power Station (ITPS) at Banharpali in Jharsuguda district shut down its second of four power generating unit due to coal shortage, a report said Tuesday.
The ITPC is reeling under an acute coal shortage over the last one month. Things have come to such a pass that the power station has even run out of the coal stock that was in store for exigencies.
This has disrupted the power production as the corporation authorities were forced to shut down power production from the second unit at 12.17 am Sunday.
Observers claimed that this will result in a power crisis as the shutdown will disrupt power supply in the state.
“OPGC has four units and 24,000 tonnes of coal is required for operating all these units comprising 210 tonne x 2 and 660 tonne x 2. OPGC-1 comprises the first two units having power generation capacity of 210 tonne each and second two units having a capacity of 660 tonne each, come under OPGC-II,” officials said.
While 24,000 tonnes are required daily at the ITPS, due to resistance against the removal of overburden from Lakhanpur area of MCL, OPGC has been receiving 12,000 MT for over a month.
If the situation persists, then ITPS authorities will be forced to shut down more units in coming days. Residents have demanded that the state government and company authorities should take urgent measures to arrest the coal shortage.
MCL has managed to supply 16,000 tonnes October 7 and 12,000 tonnes October 8 due to the coal crisis.
Sangram Keshari Swain, special secretary, energy department in a letter (letter no-8065, dated-October 4) to the CMD of MCL had drawn his attention towards the issue of coal shortage plaguing the power project.
However, despite Swain’s intervention no improvement has come in coal supply to the project following which the company authorities were forced to shut down one of the unit.
A tripartite meeting convened on the direction of the state government and comprising the MCL, ITPS authorities and the district administration was held to sort out the issue of coal shortage Sunday.
Presiding over the meeting, Collector Saroj Samal directed the MCL authorities to increase the coal supply following which the latter has agreed to increase the coal supply in phases.
Sub-collector Siba Toppo accompanied by MCL’s manager Anil Kumar Singh visited various coalmines in the Lakhanpur coalfields and took stock of coal production.
