Electricity generation from the Idukki Hydroelectric Project will come to a complete or partial halt for about a month. Starting Tuesday, three of the six generators at the Moolamattom Powerhouse will be shut down for maintenance work. To compensate for the shortage in power generation, the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) is making arrangements to source electricity from external suppliers.
The seals of the main inlet valve that supplies water to the fifth and sixth generators at the Idukki Powerhouse have worn out due to aging. The maintenance work to replace these seals will take place from November 11 to December 10, during which the generators will remain shut. Since the fourth generator also shares the same second penstock pipeline that carries water from the dam, its operation will also have to be stopped.
The total power generation capacity at Idukki is 780 megawatts. With three generators shut down, the output will drop to 390 megawatts per day, resulting in a shortage of 240 million units of electricity for the month.
Typically, one generator is taken offline each month for maintenance between July and December. However, this time, all three generators need to be serviced simultaneously due to the worn-out seals.
