VISAKHAPATNAM : The NTPC Simhadri Super Thermal Station (SSTS) is planning the expansion of its 2,000-mw coal-fired power plant at Parawada. The company is exploring various options, including construction of a super critical unit adjacent to the existing plant, to generate about 660-1,000 mw.
“We are conducting an internal assessment which will be followed by a feasibility study. We require an additional 400 acre and also sweet water supply (river water) allocation for the project,” revealed NTPC Simhadri Group general manager AK Samanta to the media Wednesday. An internal assessment on the viability of a super critical unit is being carried out to generate about 660-1,000 mw to make it a cost-effective green power project. The production cost at a greenfield unit will be more than `5 crore per mw but with with lesser environmental impact as against the less expense and more environmental impact at a brownfield unit.
The NTPC is also constructing a 4,000-MW ultra mega power plant at Pudimadaka, about 50 km from Simhadri plant at Parawada. The Pudimadaka project is envisaged as a complete greenfield unit where the terms of reference and also the revised layout plan, proposed with an investment of `20,000 crore, is awaiting clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forests.
According to the NTPC-Simhadri authorities, the plant generated about 15,055 million units during 2014-15, surpassing last year’s generation of 14,684 million units.
“We have successfully achieved a plant load factor of 86 per cent despite factors like coal shortage and impact of cyclone Hudhud. The plant is aiming to generate 16,500 million units in the next fiscal and achieve a plant load factor of 92 per cent,” he added.
With regard to the coal availability, Samanta explained that there was a significant improvement in raw material security with coal supply from Odisha’s Mahanadi Coalfields Limited. The power station received and handled highest-ever coal of 101.26 lakh metric tonnes during 2014-15. “We are meeting the shortfall by sourcing the coal from other coalfields like Eastern Coal Limited and Singareni Collieries Company Limited apart from imported coal,” Samanta said.
The GGM said that despite the damage suffered due to Hudhud, Simhadri was back to normal generating mode in four days.