BHUBANESWAR: The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) is all set to commission the second unit of the Stage-I (2 x 800 MW) super thermal power project at Darlipali in Sundargarh district from the last week of March, 2021.
“Commissioning activity for the second unit is at an advance stage. If everything goes according to the plan, trial generation of power will start in the second week of March. It will take two more weeks to go for commercial production of electricity by the end of this current fiscal,” said Executive Director of Darlipali project SK Satya.
He said currently steam blowing, one of the initial stages of start-up operation, is being done to clean the boiler tube. The boiler is fired to generate the pressurised steam used to clean the steam path. After steam blowing, restoration works of critical units will be made to go for trial generation.
After successful trial, the plant will be synchronised to the grid, he added The first unit of 800 MW capacity was fully commissioned in March 2020 and the plant is being run at 100 per cent plant load factor (PLF).
The State is entitled to 50 per cent power from both units of Darlipali. The remaining 50 per cent is sold to five states Bihar, Jharkahnd, West Bengal and Sikkim.
The Stage-I project is estimated at Rs 13,000 crore, of which, around Rs 11,000 crore has already been utilised, Satya said.
Some of the works like construction of railway line for transportation of coal, erection of transmission lines and construction of merry go round (MGR) for coal despatch to the plant have been delayed due to problems in land acquisition.
These issues were flagged at the recent meetings with the government and the review meeting by the Cabinet Committee on Investment held on Friday.
The government has assured to resolve the land problem as early as possible. Coal for Darlipali power plant is currently supplied from NTPC’s Dulanga coal mine and in case of inadequacy, it would be sourced from Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL).
On the plan for Stage-II of the project, Satya said talks for setting up the third unit has just begun. More land will be required in case it is decided to go for another unit, he added.
The Maharatna power producer, NTPC, has an installed capacity of 4,270 MW with a portfolio of 3000 MW of Talcher Super Thermal Power Station, 460 MW of Talcher Thermal Power Station and 10 MW solar power station at Kaniha in Angul district and 800 MW at Darlipali.