Tamil Nadu CM Vijay announces establishment of new supercritical thermal power station in Thoothukudi
The Chief Minister also announced a Tamil Nadu Transmission Improvement Scheme at a cost of ₹33,066 crore to strengthen power transmission to major consumption centres
On Monday, August 31, 2026, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay unveiled a ₹33,066 crore Tamil Nadu Transmission Improvement Scheme aimed at bolstering power transmission to key consumption hubs like Chennai. In addition, Vijay revealed a new supercritical thermal power station project in Thoothukudi valued at ₹20,800 crore, alongside a ₹1,762-crore initiative to enhance power distribution in Chennai.
At an impromptu Assembly address, the Chief Minister detailed that the Transmission Improvement Scheme would see the creation of 196 new substations and transmission lines spanning 15,000 km, alongside strengthening existing lines. Vijay highlighted that while Tamil Nadu excels in renewable energy generation through wind, solar, and battery storage, the uneven distribution of supply necessitated dependable thermal power for uninterrupted power during peak demand periods.
The existing Thoothukudi Thermal Power Station, with five 210 MW units since 1979, would see its capacity expanded. The station's five units would be replaced under a public-private partnership model with two 800 MW units, increasing the total capacity to 1,600 MW. Power distribution in Chennai would also receive a ₹1,762-crore upgrade, featuring 36 new substations and transformers to address monsoon-related disruptions and heightened summer demand.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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