73,000 tonnes of coal reach Kallamozhi offshore coal jetty for Udangudi thermal power plant

A coal vessel delivers 73,000 tonnes to Kallamozhi jetty for Udangudi thermal power plant's trial run of Unit I.

In a significant maiden step, a coal-laden vessel from Visakhapatnam has arrived at Kallamozhi offshore coal jetty in Thoothukudi district for transportation of coal to the Udangudi Supercritical Thermal Power Plant for the ongoing trial run of Unit I.

The thermal power plant has two units, each having a capacity of 660 MW, and works are progressing in full swing for the commissioning of Unit I shortly.

The cargo vessel carrying 73,000 tonnes of coal was berthed after obtaining statutory clearance from State and Central departments. The offshore coal jetty is built about 8 km off the coast of Kallamozhi.

A senior official from Tamil Nadu Power Generation Corporation Limited (TNPGCL) said the coal was being transported to the plant via a closed conveyor system built across Tiruchendur-Kanniyakumari road between the jetty and the thermal power plant. “At present, 1,600 tonnes of coal per hour is being transported to the plant through the conveyor system, while its total capacity is 2,000 tonnes per hour.”

The process began gradually with lower quantities of coal, such as 200 tonnes per hour, then increased to 400 tonnes per hou, and to 1,600 based on the requirement of the plant. “The unit I at the plant generates 300 MW in trial operations, and we will try to achieve the full capacity in around a month’s time,” he said.

The 555-metre-long and 24-metre-wide main berth constructed at Kallamozhi coal jetty had a capacity to accommodate two vessels and designed to handle five million metric tonnes of coal per annum, the official further said.