C T R Nirmal Kumar
CHENNAI: The stalled Uppur supercritical thermal power project in Ramanathapuram district has cost Tamil Nadu govt nearly Rs 13,000 crore, including interest, while equipment procured for the project had been lying unused suffering corrosion, state energy and law minister C T R Nirmal Kumar said on Saturday. The minister inspected the 2x800MW (1,600MW) project site, which was originally estimated to cost Rs 15,000 crore, to ascertain its present status and assess whether the assets already created could be put to use. Speaking to the media after the visit, he said around Rs 6,000 crore had already been spent on the project and, with interest, the govt funds locked up in it had risen to around Rs 13,000 crore. The project, planned in 2010, was stopped in 2021 and has remained without progress. A decision on the way forward would be taken within 30 to 40 days after examining the technical, financial, administrative and legal aspects, followed by action with the approval of chief minister C Joseph Vijay.
The minister said that the equipment procured for the project were lying in warehouses and at the site. “Since the equipment has remained unused for a prolonged period, its present technical condition, extent of corrosion and possibility of reuse will have to be assessed by the manufacturers and technical experts,” the minister said. He said a significant portion of the water-related works had already been completed, but challenges in coal transportation need to be resolved before the project can be taken forward. The cost of each alternative and the resulting cost of generating a unit of electricity will be worked out to determine whether the project can be made economically and technically viable, the minister said. The minister said a comprehensive assessment would be obtained from the companies associated with the project and technical experts.