Date:13/05/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/05/13/stories/2005051302640600.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Kothagudem thermal station units trip again

Staff Reporter

`Heavy fault' occurs in Lower Sileru 220 kV feeder

KHAMMAM: All the units in operation in the Kothagudem Thermal Power Station (KTPS) tripped once again on Thursday on account of a `heavy fault' that occurred in the KTPS-Lower Sileru 220 kV feeder, one of the evacuation lines, at 12.19 p.m. As it resulted in over-voltage and over-frequency, the 220 kV Nunna feeder, another evacuation line, also tripped immediately because of its cascading effect.

The KTPS has already been operating on a lower generation capacity ranging from 500 MW to 600 MW, following the collapse of seven HT towers on the Budidampadu 220 kV line three days ago. It resulted in tripping of all the ten units in the thermal complex, which has a total generation capacity of 1280 MW.

The 220 KV Miryalaguda line was also affected because of the damage, caused by the gales, to one of its towers, near Budidampadu. The KTPS faces a severe evacuation problem as the 220 kV Budidampadu feeder line is yet to be restored. The tripping of the Sileru and Nunna feeders has added to its problems.

The Miryalaguda line is being corrected and is likely to improve the power generation in the KTPS. Krishna Prabhakar Rao, Chief Engineer, KTPS (old plant), said that the generation loss in all the ten units of the complex from May 9 to 12 would be around 10 million units.

Restoration work

He said only six units were in operation when the fault occurred in the Sileru feeder. Station supply was taken immediately from Shapurnagar to put the tripped units back in operation.

Unit 1, 5 and 7 were brought into generation mode by evening.

The stage V Chief Engineer, A. Prabhakar Rao, said that the ninth unit (250 MW) would also be ready soon. The boiler light-up was already over.

The tenth unit of the same capacity would also be put into operation once the feeder line faults, which disrupted the evacuation, were rectified.

The restoration work on the Sileru feeder, however, would take time as the lines were passing through the forest area in the remote Koida and Vararamachandrapuram pockets in the district.