Center commits major power development plans for Tamil Nadu

Piyush Goyal minister

The Power Grid Corporation of India will upgrade the transmission facilities from Northern region of India to the Southern region by investing around Rs 30,000 crore, said Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of State for Power, Coal and New and Renewable Energy.

The center has also approved 100 MW of additional powers from the Kudankulam Nuclear Plant’s Unit II to Tamil Nadu, which is expected to go on commercial production soon.

The power transmission projects will be designed and implemented within the next three years, said the minister.

Minister was addressing reporters after meeting the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam at Chennai.

Tamil Nadu will be the most  beneficiary state among south, once the project is completed and power starts to flow from Northern grids of India to the South.

According to minister, the center is committed to support the power sector in Tamil Nadu. The government has to promote industrialization and growth of farmers in the state by ensuring sufficient power supply.

“I am very happy to inform the people of Tamil Nadu that the Central government is committed to support the power sector in Tamil Nadu and is making several new initiatives to serve the people of Tamil Nadu,” Goyal said.

Tamil Nadu government also asked center to speed up the Cheyyur Ultra Mega Power Project (UMPP).

Further, the minister said that government is planning bidding out all the new UMPP, including one in Tamil Nadu, which will commence shortly.

In addition, from the Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) meant for urban areas, the Center has approved nine towns at an investment of nearly Rs 363 crore.

The 13th finance Commission has approved Rs 1,051 crore to Tamil Nadu for various renewable energy projects.

Tamil Nadu government has already acquired land for the 4,000 MW project and it is waiting for Centre’s decision to take up the project.

Today Tamil Nadu has an installed capacity of over 8,000 MW in renewable energy, mainly wind.

However,Tamil Nadu is going through an acute shortage of power crisis.

Sabeena Wahid
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