After announcing its plans for a second power station for the Idukki hydroelectric project, the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) is pursuing a similar scheme for the Sabarigiri hydel project in Pathanamthitta district.
On the cards is an additional powerhouse at Moozhiyar with an installed capacity of ''at least 200 MW,'' says a KSEB official. The director board of the State-run power utility has cleared a proposal to entrust WAPCOS Ltd., the consultancy firm under the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, with the preparation of the feasibility study report and detailed project report (DPR) for the Sabarigiri extension scheme.
Kerala's second biggest hydel project, the 340-MW Sabarigiri project was commissioned in the late 1960s. It has an installed capacity of 340 MW, but age-related problems plague the powerhouse situated at Moozhiyar. On April 1, the KSEB was forced to shut down one of the six generators at the station after it tripped due to a stator winding failure. Another unit has been down for over a year owing to technical glitches.
