From Our Correspondent
Agartala: Having failed to operate the Palatana’s first unit even after ‘formal inauguration’, the OTPC has undertaken clearing of gas pipeline on war footing, according to official sources.
Turbines of first unit were stopped due to technical fault caused by supply of unpurified natural gas to the turbine. In fact, two gas boosters got blocked due to supply of unpurified natural gas.
However, the OTPC went on schedule programme- inauguration of first unit by President Pranab Mukherjee on June 21 on the basis of another gas booster.
As expected, power production had been suspended immediately after the much-hyped inauguration.
To reverse the fortune of the Rs. 9000 project, the OTPC has undertaken clearing of 54 km gas pipeline to ensure supply of purified natural gas to the plant.
“An expert from North Korea has been flown to Palatana to supervise the entire operation on gas pipeline. It will take three to four days to complete the clearing work”, said an official of OTPC, a subsidiary company of the oil giant ONGC here on Saturday.
The official, who did not want to be quoted, further said the BHEL, the implementing agency, will not run the turbines unless the gas line is full cleared of unpurified natural gas. “If the unpurified gas is entered into turbine, it may cause huge damage. We will run the turbine only after completion of gas pipeline clearing work”, he said.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh laid the foundation stone for the 726 MW power plant at Palatana on October 29, 2005.
At the time of laying of foundation stone, it was declared that the project would be commissioned within next five years.
But till the date, the OTPC could not make the mega power project stable virtually putting a question mark on the fate of the power plant.