PALATANA/UDAIPUR, October 6 (TIWN): The Commercial Generation(COG) from the Unit-II of OTPCs 726.6 Combined Cycle Gas Turbine(CCGT) Thermal Power Plant in Palatana is likely to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 3rd week of November. The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) is learnt to have been informed about the inaugural programme by the top level officials of ONGC, said a top level OTPC engineer on Sunday night. He said ," We are now working with a specific target to start COG from Unit-II(363.3MW) by the 3rd week of November. However, this time we are not doing anything in a hurry especially after the horrible experience in June,2013 when the unit-I had totally failed soon after the President of India Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the COG from Unit-I. That's why we are not taking any risk this time. Even if the technical experts suggest, we may even reschedule the inaugural programme, and in that case the Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be invited to come here in the first week of December."

   Indeed, all on a sudden the preparations in OTPC are now going on emergency basis to make the plant ready for Commercial Generation(COG) from Unit-II by the end of October itself. However, even if the preparations give desired result , officially OTPC won't declare it ready for COG. Rather OTPC & BHEL engineers as well as Sogex Oman India Pvt Ltd will closely monitor the Unit-II to avoid any repeat of 2013 like experience. Meanwhile, the Seal Oil Pump Motor of the Gas Turbine that was not working since last one month will be replaced by a new one. An OTPC engineer told TIWN on Sunday night," Luckily one Seal Oil Pump Motor has been found in BHEL's manufacturing unit in Hyderabad. During his visit to Hyderabad, BHEL AGM B K Bhora has been assured by the officials of Hyderabad that one Seal Oil Pump Motor can be supplied to Palatana power project. Returning to Tripura when B K Bhora found that the pump motor that went out of order cannot be repaired , he immediately sent an SOS to despatch the Seal Oil Pump Motor from Hyderabad. Hopefully it will reach Palatan within a day or two. And once it is replaced, the Trial Run of Unit-II will begin from 8th October( as per BHELs latest schedule)."

    The engineer also informed that if the Trial Run begins from 8th October, it is likely to be completed in 15 days time. And that means the Unit-II will be ready for COG by the end of October. But for ' stability' of the Unit-II technical experts have asked for 15 days more time. Actually once the COG starts, a plant may face some minor problems. And as a result of it the plant needs to be put in 'Complete Shutdown'. In June last year same thing happened. The engineer said," Gas Booster Compressor of the Unit -I were totally damaged and as a result of it soon after the inauguration of COG on 21st June,2013 no generation was possible from Unit-I for more than two months and BHEL suffered a huge loss. This time to avoid such incident, experts will be monitoring the Unit-II for 15 days at least from the day when Unit-II of the plant will be ready for COG."

      As of now it is likely that the Unit-II of OTPCs 726.6MW power plant will be ready for COG by the first week of November(maximum) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to be in Tripura to inaugurate the COMMERCIAL Generation from Unit-II(363.3MW).  But the PMs visit may be a bit delayed depending on the experts' opinion on 'Stability of Unit-II'. In that case Modi will be invited to come here in the first week of December. But it is learnt that PMO has given the consent that Modi will be in Tripura for this event.