Fire at Obra power plant in India causes shutdown

• 5 years ago (2018-10-15)
• David Flin

Asia 848 Coal 274

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A fire broke out at the Obra thermal power site in Uttar Pradesh, India, leading to closure of 200 MW of output from the 800 MW site. The site is located on the border of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand, and it supplies mainly to Uttar Pradesh. The closure of the output disrupted power supply in some parts of the State.

Official sources said that the fire started from the switchgear in the cable yard in the early morning, and the fire quickly spread to nearby areas. Twelve fire tenders were involved in extinguishing the fire. The fire resulting in the shutdown of units 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13, for a combined output loss of 200 MW.

Official sources said that no-one had been injured in the fire, but that the financial loss could be extensive. They also said that the losses would have been much higher had the fire not been brought under control immediately, and that the entire Obra plant, which generates a total of 800 MW, would have had to have been shut down, which would have resulted in a major power crisis in the State.