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Yamunanagar plant’s 300-MW unit-2 shut since Sept, 2011

Known power expert Padamjit Singh has raised questions on the efficacy of the Chinese equipment being used in the 600-MW two-unit Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram Thermal Power plant at Yamunanagar. Unit 2 of the plant has been shut since September 25th last year, causing a huge daily loss of around 2 crore rupees to the Haryana government, besides resulting in power shortage.

Reliance Infra and Shanghai Electric Company had built the plant at a cost of 2400 crores in Yamunanagar in 2008. However, the 300-MW unit 2 of the thermal plant had to be shut down on September 25th, 2011 because of high vibrations in the turbine.

Padamjit Singh questions how a new set-up could get such a snag and also claims that information procured through the RTI Act reveals that the Chinese company was slow in responding after the snag was detected.

The rotor of the turbine has been sent to Siemens Baroda now. According to the Central Electricity Authority, the Yamunanagar thermal plant has reported a shortfall of 660 million units and this is not the first time that Unit 2 has been closed. On February 22nd, 2010, a problem in emitting electrodes was detected and the unit was operationalised on March 15th then.

Haryana’s Power Minister Capt Ajay Singh Yadav, however, termed the snag a routine matter and did not see anything amiss.

For power experts, however, the functioning of the Yamunanagar plant remains under scanner.