NCTPS Stage III: The 800 MW Summer Savior

Two years after its formal inauguration, Tamil Nadu’s first 800 MW supercritical thermal power unit at Athipattu village in Tiruvallur district has commenced commercial power generation.

The North Chennai Super Critical Thermal Power Station Stage III (NCTPS Stage III) — the largest supercritical unit in the State — is expected to play a crucial role in meeting peak summer demand and reducing reliance on costly private power procurement. The Southern Regional Power Committee (SRPC) has projected Tamil Nadu’s summer electricity demand at around 22,000 MW. In recent years, the State’s distribution utility had to purchase power at rates as high as ₹18 per unit during peak shortages.

With NCTPS Stage III now operational, the plant can generate 15.36 million units of electricity per day at an 80 percent plant load factor, significantly lowering the need for high-cost external purchases.

This marks the first commercial power generation from a Tamil Nadu Power Generation Corporation Limited (TNPGCL) facility in nearly 12 years, with the last major unit commissioned in 2014. The foundation stone for NCTPS Stage III was laid in 2010, and the unit became commercially operational after a 16-year development period.

TNPGCL Managing Director M. Govinda Rao said the milestone was achieved at 4:30 am on January 21, marking the official Commercial Operation Date (COD) on January 24. As of January 25, the plant had generated 3,002.004 million units of electricity.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.