New Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of the 2400 MW coal-based thermal power plant (TPP) of lignite miner NLC India (NLCIL) at Talabira in the Jharsuguda district of Odisha on Saturday.

The first phase of 2400 megawatt (MT) of the ultra-super critical pithead power plant is being set up with a cost of ₹27,712 crore and is expected to commence operations by FY29.

NLCIL CMD Prasanna Kumar Motupalli in a virtual media interaction said the Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone for Phase-1 of NLC India Talabira Thermal Power Project (NTTPP) on February 3, which is the largest greenfield pithead TPP envisaged in the country in the recent past.

Leveraging on the cost benefits of a pit head project, the coal for the units will be fed from adjacent mines of NLCIL through an eco-friendly conveyor system without involving costly road and rail transportation, he added.

The project would be able to supply power at one of the cheapest tariffs among all thermal power stations in the country. The first phase of the project will supply 1,787 crore units of electricity to Odisha and other states, he said.

Cost per-unit

The plant will generate electricity at a cost of around ₹3.65 per unit ₹2.40 fixed cost and ₹1.25 variable cost), which is amongst the cheapest power produced by TPPs in the country.

Besides, the plant is equipped with the latest environment friendly designs of Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) for SOx control, Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) for NOx control, 10 per cent eco-friendly biomass co-firing, solid waste management and effluent treatment system, the CMD said.

The entire 2400 MW capacity has been tied up with Odisha (400 MW), Tamil Nadu (1500 MW), Kerala (400 MW) and Puducherry (100 MW). The coal requirement for the 2400 MW capacity in Phase 1 is around 11.37 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) and the coal linkages are from NLCIL’s Talabira II and Talabira III blocks.

The Talabira coal mines have total reserves of 553 MT with a 23 MT peak rated capacity (PRC).

The engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the main plant, valued at ₹18,255 crore, has been awarded to BHEL. The first 800 MW unit is expected to be commissioned in 52 months from the zero date, with subsequent units coming online at intervals of six months.

The second phase of 800 MW capacity will be set up after the completion of the first phase. It will cost around ₹7,500-8,000 crore.

PM’s Odisha tour

Prime Minister Modi will also inaugurate projects of Mahanadi Coalfields (MCL) in Odisha including Bhubaneswari Phase-I, a First Mile Connectivity (FMC) project in Talcher Coalfields in Angul district, which is built at a cost of ₹335 crore. It will reduce rake loading time to around 50 minutes.

Modi will also inaugurate the Lajkura Rapid Loading System (RLS), constructed at an investment of about ₹375 crore. It is designed to enhance coal quality and supply, achieving a loading time of around 50 minutes.

The Prime Minister will dedicate a 50 km long second track of the Jharsuguda-Barpali-Sardega rail line Phase-1 to the nation, which is built by MCL with an investment of ₹878 crore. This expansion is poised to significantly enhance rail infrastructure, facilitating seamless transportation and ensuring efficient coal supply chains.