In a remarkable display of technical expertise, engineers of Madhya Pradesh Power Generating Company Limited (MPPGCL) have successfully restored a major generating unit that experts had warned could remain shut for nearly 48 months. Instead of waiting years for a replacement rotor, the team carried out an in-house repair and ran the unit continuously for 100 days. The achievement relates to the 500 MW Unit No. 5 of Sanjay Gandhi Thermal Power Station at Birsinghpur. The unit recently completed 100 consecutive days of operation, setting a significant operational record. Had the company followed the initial recommendation to replace the damaged rotor, the unit might have remained closed for about four years, leading to substantial loss of electricity generation and heavy financial burden for purchasing a new rotor. Such a shutdown could also have affected the state’s power supply. The unit had been taken offline on July 10, 2025 for capital overhauling.

 

During maintenance, engineers discovered serious cracks in the grooves of the turbine’s low-pressure (LP) rotor. After detailed technical assessment, external experts declared the rotor unfit for further service and suggested replacement as the only viable option. However, unwilling to keep the unit idle for years, MPPGCL engineers opted for a challenging in-house repair. Their efforts paid off, as the rotor was restored and the unit resumed power generation. Officials say this is the first time in India that such an LP turbine rotor has been repaired successfully at site. Following the repair, the unit generated around 1,592 million units of electricity, achieving a Plant Load Factor of 97.97%, Plant Availability Factor of 98%, and auxiliary consumption of 5.48%, reflecting stable and efficient performance. MPPGCL Managing Director Manjit Singh praised the engineers and staff, saying their technical skill, innovation and teamwork have strengthened the company’s reputation at the national level and demonstrated excellence in risk management and resource optimization.