From Our Correspondent
Agartala: The Northeast Regional Load and Dispatch (NERLDC) has convened a crucial meeting to take a decision of undertaking trial run of Palatana’s first unit.
The meeting, which is scheduled at Guwahati on January 11, will be attended by agencies engaged in power transmission and distribution in the Northeast region. In the meeting, the decision of undertaking trial run of Palatana power project would be taken after reviewing the entire transmission system of the Northeast region, said Power Minister Manik Dey.
Representatives of main stakeholders- Tripura, Assam, Manipur and Meghalaya are expected to attend the all-important meeting. However, power evacuation will remain a major problem to run the Palatana project with full pace as transmission line could not be linked with National Power Grid at Bongaigon (Assam).
Dey, who visited the Palatana power plant on Monday along with OTPC Managing Director SK Dubey said that his visit was routine- to see how Gas Turbine and Steam Turbine are working there.
Reports from Palatana confirmed the BHEL is contemplating to hand over the first unit by end of this month after mandatory trial run for three consecutive days. After successful experimental run of two turbines, the first unit was shut down for few days.
Two-day back, both turbines were put on operation on experimental basis. On Monday the first unit of Palatana produced 178 MW power and state’s power scenario improves as TSECL has been receiving sufficient power from it.
OTPC General Manager S K Dubey said, the transmission line was drawn up to Silchar in Assam, but it needed to be drawn up to Bongaigaon for connecting with the national grid which was yet to be completed. He said, drawing the transmission lines through hilly terrain and forests was an uphill task, but the progress was satisfactory. Four Northeastern states – Assam, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Manipur – would buy power from the Palatana power plant, Dubey said.