KPCL to dismantle, restore fire-ravaged Sharavathi unit

 The Karnataka Power Corporation Limited will dismantle the fire-ravaged control room of its Sharavathi generating station (SGP) and restore it in a phased manner. A massive fire which broke out at the unit on February 18, has reduced the control room into smithereens.

The damage in the mishap could have been of a large scale as the multi-storied building that houses the power station had several imported electrical equipment worth crores of rupees. According to the officials of the KPCL, the power station had sophisticated machinery imported from the US, Canada, France, Japan and other counties. Fortunately, none of these equipment had been damaged in the fire. 

“We should consider ourselves lucky as the expensive imported electrical equipment are safe. However, control panel, power and control cables are completely burnt. We have to dismantle the control room and restore it in a phased manner,” K R Shivaji, Chief Engineer (Electrical), Sharavathi Hydro Electric Project, told Deccan Herald.

He said that the KPCL had asked to shortlist companies that could execute the restoration work effectively.

“We are thinking of a few companies - ‘ABB’, (a multinational corporation headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, operating mainly in robotics and the power and automation technology areas), Alstom India Limited, (AIL) which is engaged in the business of power generation, power transmission and rail infrastructure, Siemens, German based company which has its operation in energy and V-Tech Power Engineering Privated Limited, based in India. We are unlikely to invite global tenders as it would delay the restoration. The measures are being taken to make sure that the Sharavathi generating station starts functioning before the commencement of rainy season,” Shivaji said.

With an installed capacity of 1,035MW per day, the Sharavathi generation station has an annual yield of 5,000 million units. According to the KPCL website, during 2015-16, the SGP generated 261.5374 million units of power in the current financial year (till the fire accident) against the target of  5,341 mu. The power generation has come to a halt after the fire accident.

Meanwhile, Energy Minister D K Shivakumar has written to Union Minister of State for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy, seeking allocation 1,000 MW from Central generating stations. He has said that the power generation has come down by 1,275 MW per day due to the fire mishap.

K R Shivaji, Chief Engineer (Electrical), Sharavathi Hydro Electric Project: We are unlikely to invite global tender as it would delay the restoration. The measures are being taken to make sure that the Sharavathi generating station starts functioning before the commencement of rainy season.