Synchronisation of thermal plant unit delayed
Manish Sirhindi
Tribune News Service

Yamunanagar, November 14
The synchronisation of the 300-MW Yamunanagar thermal unit, which was expected to be revived by the middle of October, has been further delayed following vibrations in the turbine.

Official sources said the unit was lighted up last week for synchronisation but had to be shut down again following high vibrations in the turbine. The unit ran for a few hours on 50-MW load. As the mandatory overspeeding test was being done, some bolts of bearing cover were damaged. Now the turbine is again being checked for some oil leakage, the sources said.

A complete overhauling of this unit and the auxiliary system were carried out under the supervision of Chinese engineers for more than six months.

The unit turbine rotor was received at Yamunanagar after repairs at Baroda and Mumbai in September, this year. The repair work had cost the power utility around Rs 5 crore, sources said.

The damaged rotor of other unit which was sent to China for repairs has been dispatched after final inspection. The rotor components are expected to reach the Indian port in the last week of December. The unit may be put back in operation early next year.

Meanwhile, the coal shortage has hit all the running thermal plants in the state, except the Yamunanagar thermal which is under long forced shutdown. As per latest Central Electricity Authority (CEA) report, the coal stock at the plant in Jhajjar was sufficient for just two days.

One of the 660-MW units at Jhajjar has been shut down for the past three weeks due to coal shortage.

The coal stock at Panipat and Khedar is sufficient for just three and six days, respectively, the sources said.