ONGC Tripura Power Company’s (OTPC) power plant is expected to go on stream later this month, but the network to evacuate the electricity may not be ready.

The Rs 3,500-crore project – of two units of 363.3 MW each – is considered a tough assignment as the region lacks adequate road or rail link. The first unit of the plant is slated to go on stream towards the end of this month.

However, the company’s transmission joint venture with PowerGrid – North-East Power Transmission Company (NEPTC) – is yet to complete the Rs 1,800-crore evacuation system to connect the power plant at Palatana in Tripura to the national grid, 661 km away in Bongaigaon, Assam.

And, since there is inadequate demand, both in Tripura and the entire North-Eastern region, the plant may be faced with viability issues. Chances are that it may even violate pollution control norms if run at a low demand load.

Viability concern

According to sources in project contractor BHEL, the gas-based units achieve break-even at 85-90 per cent load factor, meaning a lower capacity utilisation will only increase OTPC’s losses. ONGC, which has made capital investments in gas production and distribution to the power plant, will also be affected.

What is more, sources suggest the unit will violate emission norms if run below 75 per cent load factor.

Commissioning worries

NEPTC is yet to complete the first leg of the evacuation system to Silchar. “We are told it will be ready by September 29,” BHEL sources say.

In the absence of evacuation, the unit could not be even test run. “The State grid in Tripura is of 132 kV while our systems are benchmarked to the national grid parameters at 400 kV. Naturally, any effort to evacuate power through the State transmission lines will be catastrophic,” a source said.

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