NTPC plans to phase out 1,460 MW of old depreciated plants

NTPC plans to phase out 1,460 MW of old depreciated plants over time. One plant of 460 MW at Talcher (Odisha) and another plant of 1,000 MW at Singrauli (Madhya Pradesh) will be retired.

According to K Biswal, Director (Finance), NTPC will be setting up two plants – of 1,320 MW each – in both these places, ie, Talcher and Singrauli. The Talcher unit is expected to come up by 2021, while tenders have been floated for the Singrauli plant.

With approximately Rs 7 crore being spent for setting up each MW of power, the investment across these projects is expected to be in the tune of Rs 20,000 crore.

“The Talcher unit will be built in two phase of 660 MW each. In Singrauli, we have just floated the tender. We have the requisite land in both these places,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the ‘mjunction’ organised Indian Coal Markets Conference here in the city.

Acquisition of Chhabra plant

NTPC, Biswal said, is planning to acquire the 1,000 megawatt (MW) Chhabra thermal power plant from the Rajasthan Government. Two more units of 660 MW each will be transferred to NTPC after their completion.

The four units of the Chhabra power plant, with a total capacity of 1,000 MW, were commissioned between 2010 and 2014 at a cost of over Rs 5,700 crore.

“We will be paying around Rs 4,000 crore for the Chhabra unit at the depreciated book value; subject to approval of the CRC. We will fund the acquisition through a mixture of debt and equity,” he said.

Coal crisis

Meanwhile, coal stocks at 13 power stations of NTPC, out of a total of 22, were at “critical” levels. The stock was down to three days. The overall coal stock availability for all power plants put together is seven days.

Monsoons and floods are said to be the primary reasons for shortage of coal, Biswal maintained. “We are hoping that the situation will normalise soon,” he said.

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