BHUBANESWAR: The NTPC on Tuesday shut down another unit of stage-II of the Talcher Super Thermal Power Station (TSTPS) at Kaniha in response to the closure notice by the Orissa State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB). NTPC, Kaniha, has six units of 500 MW each __ two in Phase-I and four in Phase-II. Only two out of six units are operational. The OSPCB had asked the national thermal power major to shut down all the four units of Stage-II for its failure to implement the ash management system. Sources said the closure of four units is likely to trigger a crisis in four southern States. The TSTPS supplies power to Kolar in Karnataka through a dedicated transmission line. At present, Orissa is partially affected as there is shortfall in power demand due to sporadic monsoon rains across the State, said a senior officer of the State Load Despatch Centre (SLDC), the grid manager. While the second unit of stage-I is on schedule annual maintenance, the third unit of stage-II was taken out of grid due to leakage in the boiler tube. Earlier, NTPC shut down its fourth unit responding to OSPCB’s June 28 notice. “The power crisis situation is over. The State is in a position to manage its load,” the SLDC officer said. Due to the closure and annual maintenance, the State is losing its share of about 300 MW of power from NTPC’s Kaniha plant. The State has a share of 31.8 per cent from the first two units and 10 per cent from each of the four units of stage-II. While evening peak demand for power is in the range between 2,900 MW and 3,000 MW, the shortfall is made up from hydro sources. The reservoir level has improved after the initial spell of monsoon rains. Besides, the frequency in the eastern region grid is much better and the State is drawing excess power when required, the sources said. While the hydro power stations of OHPC are in a position to generate more than 1,500 MW power, the captive generating plants in the State are also supplying more than 600 MW of power to the State.
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