The Hindu Business Line : TNEB asks Ennore Port to treble coal handling capacity

Chennai, Aug. 6 The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) has asked Ennore Port Ltd (EPL) to increase the port’s installed capacity to handle coal (only for the TNEB) by nearly three times in the next five years. The TNEB wants the port to be able to handle a total volume of around 35 million tonnes (mt) of coal by 2013-14 from the present 12 mt, according to Mr S. Velumani, Chairman and Managing Director, EPL.

The expansion is to meet the TNEB’s plans of adding nearly 5,000 MW of capacity in the next five years. EPL’s capacity expansion, including a new berth and dredging, could cost around Rs 200 crore. EPL will request the Indian Maritime University to take up a detailed feasibility study on the project, he said.

Last financial year, the port handled nearly 10 mt of coal for the TNEB, he said.

For the expansion, two more unloaders will be required.

At Central Berth 2 the capacity will be increased to 16 mt. Construction of a third berth for coal handling will be taken up based on the feasibility study, he said.

Mr Velumani said a 500-MW plant annually requires nearly 2.5 mt of coal, which will mainly come from Paradip. The existing arrangement will continue, that is, the TNEB with EPL creating the infrastructure, he said.

EPL has set apart the existing two coal berths for handling thermal coal required by the power plants in which TNEB is a stakeholder. At present, the coal requirement for power generation at the plants of TNEB having linkage to Ennore port is around 10 mt a year.

The new grab unloaders to be installed should be capable to unload coal from the large Panamax vessels (80,000 – 100,000 dead weight tonne), which have a broader beam, he said.

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