Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) has announced plans to purchase 6,000 megawatts (MW) of power from private sources to meet the rising summer electricity demand, which is expected to peak at 22,000 MW, surpassing the 20,830 MW recorded in April last year.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Electricity Minister V. Senthil Balaji cited a combination of factors for the increased reliance on private players. These include reduced in-house power generation, a fire accident at the Thoothukudi Thermal Power Plant, and a bunker collapse at the Mettur plant.
“We have no choice but to buy power to ensure uninterrupted supply,” said the Minister. Tenders have already been floated to construct a new bunker at Mettur. The third unit at Thoothukudi will resume soon, while repair work is underway on the remaining units.
Looking ahead, the minister shared long-term strategies including the soon-to-be-operational Udangudi and Uppur thermal plants, and a proposed 14,500 MW pumped storage project in the Western Ghats. However, environmental regulations may delay this project as four proposed sites fall within Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESAs) under a draft notification from the central government.
On delays in solar energy projects, the minister cited land acquisition issues and financial constraints as the major bottlenecks.
This major step comes as Tamil Nadu continues to experience soaring temperatures and rising power consumption across households, agriculture, and industry.