Ranchi, April 28: The Jharkhand State Electricity Board (JSEB) is yet to ascertain the reasons behind the fire that broke out in the Patratu Thermal Power Station (PTPS) on Sunday.

Though some senior JSEB officials rushed to the spot to assess the damage and come up with ways to resume production, nothing much has been achieved as yet.

Massive repair work is in progress at the thermal station. Meanwhile, the demand for power is being met through a loop line from the Chandil sector and from the National Grid functioning in Bihar.

A senior JSEB official said the reason of the fire is being investigated and insurance teams are also probing the incident. However, the official said faulty equipment might have sparked off the fire as most equipment in the breaker room are in disrepair and are too old to be used.

“The PTPS is a very old plant and needs to be changed phase wise. The Russian side of the plant is in shambles and needs urgent repair. The equipment in the station is almost more than 20 years old and past their production capacity. Repair is a major hassle because spare parts are not easily available,” the official stated.

The capital requires about 145 MW of power. Right now, there is a shortfall of about 40 MW, said JSEB member for transmission G.N.S. Munda.

About 60 MW of power is being requisitioned and brought to the state through the Tenughat Vidyut Nigam Limited, sources said.

Though the TVNL plant is not in service, the switch grid of the plant is being used to transfer the power from the national grid, sources added.

The fire, which broke out in the 6.6 KV breaker room at PTPS, gutted a 30MVA (mega voult ampere) transformer, breaker switches and cables in the room.

Adding to the JSEB’s woes, the conductors in the Patratu-Chandil 220 vault line also snapped disrupting the power supply from the Chandil sector.

After the conductors snapped on the Patratu-Chandil line, cable thieves also used the opportunity to severe about 300 m of high tension wires near Tupudana, JSEB sources said. That has prolonged the restoration work of the JSEB.

Two units of Patratu Thermal Power Station caught fire on Sunday. One assistant controller was killed and three workers were injured in the incident. Sources said fire had destroyed machinery worth Rs 3 crores.