Power equipment manufacturers—the public sector BHEL and the joint venture, L&T-MHI—are in the race for a mega order of NLC India’s 2,400 MW Talabira Thermal power project in Odisha, for boiler, turbine and balance of plant.  

The total cost of the project is around ₹20,000 crore. The value of boiler, turbine-generator and balance-of-plant components is not clear, but would form the bulk of the project cost.  

NLC India’s Chairman and Managing Director, Rakesh Kumar, told businessline today that BHEL and L&T-MHI were the two bidders for the three packages (boiler, turbine-generator and balance of plant), but said the value of the tender could not be disclosed. 

Ultra-supercritical thermal power projects

Neyveli, Tamil Nadu-based public sector thermal power producer, NLC India, is putting up three units of 800 MW ultra-supercritical thermal power projects at Talabira. The project was first designed to be put up at Sirkazhi in Tamil Nadu but was later shifted to Talabira in order to save the cost of transporting coal from Talabira mines to down south. An ultra-supercritical thermal plant is one in which the temperature and pressure of the steam generated is very high, roughly 600 degrees C and 240 bar. Such plants are more efficient—they produce more power per unit of fuel. 

The 2,400 MW is to be shared by Tamil Nadu 1,500 MW, Puducherry 100 MW Karnataka 400 MW and Odisha 400 MW. 

Ghatampur project 

Meanwhile, a request by the Assam government for 25 per cent share of the power produced by upcoming 3x660 MW Ghatampur, Uttar Pradesh project has been accepted by the UP’s electricity regulatory commission. The project is being put up by a joint venture of NLC India (51 per cent) and Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Ltd. Another request by the Assam government, for a 20 per cent stake in the joint venture, is still under consideration. 

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