NTPC Darlipali plant’s second unit to start operation in Odisha’s Sundargarh from September 1

Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) will begin industrial operation of its second unit of Darlipali Super Thermal Power Station in Sundargarh district from September 1 this 12 months.“The second unit of the power plant with 800 MW capacity that completed its trial operation in July will be synchronised to the power grid soon,” stated NTPC Regional Executive Director (jap area) SK Satya. While Odisha is entitled to obtain 50 per cent of the facility generated by the Darlipali energy venture of 1600 MW (2 X 800 MW), the remaining 50 per cent shall be bought to Bihar, Jharkhand, Sikkim, and West Bengal.

As per the facility buy settlement with the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC), the price of energy from the Darlipali plant shall be Rs 2.90 per unit. While the mounted price of energy is ready at Rs 1.90 per unit, the variable price has been decided at Rs1 per unit.

Satya stated NTPC has already made an expenditure of over Rs13,500 crore within the venture that’s estimated at Rs 13,700 crore. “Some of the works like construction of railway line for transportation of coal and construction of merry go round (MGR) linking to railway sidings at Laikera and Kechobahal stations at Jharsuguda district for coal despatch to the plant is under progress. It is expected that these works will be completed by June 2022,” Satya added.

The development of the railway strains and MGR was delayed attributable to land acquisition issues. However, the problems have been resolved after the Cabinet Committee on Investment (CCI) took up the matter with the State authorities in January.

He stated set up of Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) system to curb emissions of suspended particulate matter is beneath progress and this shall be accomplished by subsequent 12 months. The pit head-based thermal energy plant is at present sourcing its requirement of fossil gasoline from its Dulanga coal mines at Sundargarh. With a every day requirement of about 25,000 tonne, the Dulanga mine has the capability to fulfill 20,000 tonne. The stability requirement shall be met from Mahanadi Coalfields Limited. “Once the MGR project is over, NTPC will meet the additional coal requirement from anywhere in the country through railway,” Satya added.

Water for the plant is sourced from the Hirakud reservoir by a pipeline overlaying a distance of about 30 km from the venture web site. The first unit of the plant was commissioned in January 2020.