Kayamkulam Power Plant Set to Get New Lease of Life with Kochi-Kanyakumari Gas Pipeline
Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi announced that the long-idle naphtha-based power plant at Kayamkulam could get a new lease of life with the commissioning of the Kochi-Kanyakumari gas pipeline.
The 359-MW Rajiv Gandhi Combined Cycle Power Project of the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) at Kayamkulam has remained idle for years due to its high generation cost, around Rs 15 per unit. The plant was originally designed to run on naphtha but stopped generating power in 2017 as it became commercially unviable.
The proposed Kochi-Kanyakumari-Thoothukudi natural gas pipeline will provide an opportunity to utilise the Kayamkulam power plant during periods of peak demand, helping balance the power grid and reduce dependence on costly peak-power purchases. The project is expected to create a long-term energy infrastructure backbone for southern Kerala, strengthening the region's energy security.