Chennai: Amid mounting concerns among the local population over its potential health and environmental impacts, Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) is advancing the 660 megawatt Ennore Thermal Power Station (ETPS) expansion project.
Proposed to address Chennai’s growing power demand, the Rs 5,421.38 crore plant will occupy 90 acres within the existing ETPS complex in Tiruvottiyur taluk, north Chennai.
Although tenders for the project were initially floated in 2014, delays plagued its progress. Activity resumed last month as TANGEDCO expedited the initiative. The ETPS complex is located seven kilometres from the North Chennai Thermal Power Station (NCTPS), which is Tamil Nadu’s first supercritical thermal power plant and has an 800-megawatt capacity.
A supercritical thermal power plant is one that operates at temperatures and pressures above the critical point of water, or the point at which the distinction between water and steam disappears because the liquid and gaseous phases are in equilibrium.
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Public hearing
The project has sparked fierce opposition from local residents and environmental activists. North Chennai, a region characterised by brackish wetlands and mangrove forests, already grapples with heavy industrialisation which many residents blame for health-related issues.
The local fishing community, heavily dependent on the region’s ecosystems, has also raised concerns about the impact on their livelihoods. In 2023, an oil spill from the Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL) refinery affected over 20,000 residents, further intensifying calls to reconsider additional industrial projects in the area.
At a public hearing held Friday by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) in Ernavur, many residents voiced their objections, highlighting potential health hazards posed by industrial pollution. The hearing turned chaotic as it was also attended by functionaries of Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), who vehemently opposed the project while DMK functionaries supported it.
“As long as I am alive, I will not let the project take off,” NTK leader Seeman said after the hearing.
City-based Chennai Climate Action Group (CCAG) demanded Saturday that the public hearing be declared illegal since the district collector and TNPCB officials left mid-way.
Speaking to ThePrint, environmental activist Nityanand Jayaraman said the area is already saturated with high-pollution industries, including a 10.5 million-tonne-per-annum oil refinery and 34 petrochemical units. Combined with the Kamarajar Port and Chennai Port, these industries have contributed to alarming pollution levels.
A letter from the Indian Academy of Pediatrics to Chennai district collector Rashmi Siddharth Zagade dated 13 December, 2024, highlighted studies showing significantly higher rates of cancer and respiratory illnesses among children in Ennore compared to other parts of the city.
TANGEDCO’s response
TANGEDCO defended the project, citing Chennai’s escalating power needs.
“If we build the plant elsewhere, resulting transmission losses will be substantial,” K. Karukkuvel Rajan, director of TANGEDCO, told ThePrint, adding that the state’s power demand is increasing by 1,000 megawatt annually, with Chennai accounting for 25 percent of this growth.
“This plant will ensure uninterrupted power supply for Chennai residents,” Rajan asserted, adding that the project is expected to meet power demands within four years.
Rajan also claimed that TANGEDCO had addressed local concerns, securing approval from the Union environment ministry after adhering to prescribed norms.
Project history & details
The existing ETPS, commissioned in 1970 with a capacity of 450 megawatts, was decommissioned in March 2017. The 660-megawatt expansion is proposed on 90 acres, with 84 acres located within the ETPS complex and six acres allocated for a pipeline and conveyor corridor outside the plant boundary.
The project’s initial engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) tender was awarded to LANCO Infratech Ltd in 2014 for Rs 3,921.55 crore.
However, LANCO’s insolvency led to the contract’s termination in 2018. In 2019, TANGEDCO awarded the contract to BGR Energy Systems (BGRESL), but delays and poor performance resulted in its cancellation in April 2021.
The project was re-awarded to BGRESL in March 2022 to execute the remaining work for Rs 4,442.75 crore, according to the state’s energy department policy note for 2024-25.
Environmental Impact Assessment
According to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report submitted to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the plant will be located 70 metres from the Ennore backwaters and 575 metres from the Kosasthalaiyar River, with the Bay of Bengal 815 metres away.
The report noted that 4,33,117 people live within a 10-kilometre radius of the project, including in Ernavur, just 1.2 kilometres away.
While the assessment stated that the project’s impact on air, noise and water would remain within permissible limits, it recommended measures such as wastewater treatment plants, dust extraction systems and fly ash suppression facilities to mitigate pollution.
(Edited by Radifah Kabir)
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