ANGUL: Fifty-four years after it started operations, the Talcher Thermal Power Station (TTPS) permanently ‘shut down power’ on Wednesday. A unit of National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC), the 460 MW plant was closed due to lack of environmental clearance. One of the oldest power plants in the country, the lifespan of TTPS expired on the day as per the guidelines of Central Electrical Regulatory Commission (CERC).
A top TTPS official said, “We closed the 460 MW power plant permanently due to expiry of its lifespan. It was 54 years old and had no environmental clearance. There will be no power production from the plant from today.” He further informed that some of the contractual workers out of the total 1,400 may be retained for maintenance work while all permanent staff will be redeployed by NTPC.
The official expressed optimism about the proposed 1320 MW plant in place of TTPS and said talks are going on between NTPC and the State officials on certain contentious issue over the expansion project.
TTPS had a total of six units. While two units were set up in 1968, another two were commissioned in 1982. The plant was initially being managed by the erstwhile Orissa State Electricity Board. But owing to losses and less than 15 per cent plant load factor, it was sold to NTPC in 1995.
The NTPC invested heavily in the plant for its renovation and modernisation in 2000 and its lifespan was fixed up to March 31, 2021 by the CERC. In 2010, NTPC decided to set up an expansion project of two 660 MW units in place of the old power plant. A proposal to set up the project was also cleared. However, over 10 years later, the proposed expansion project could not be a reality due to lack of interest of NTPC and clearance by the State government.
Chief Secy talks to NTPC CMD over expansion
Bhubaneswar: With no response from the Centre to the State government’s request for early execution of the Stage-III project of TTPS in Angul district, Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra on Wednesday took up the issue with the NTPC. After a meeting with NTPC chairman and managing director (CMD) Gurdeep Singh on virtual mode, Mahapatra said a meet of senior officers of NTPC, Energy department, Gridco and other stakeholders will be convened soon to sort out issues for construction of two super critical units of 660 MW each. A work plan will be prepared for redressal of grievances of locals against the new project, he said. The Chief Secretary assured that the government will provide all possible assistance to NTPC to expedite the construction of the new power unit. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had written to Union Minister of State for Power RK Singh a week ago requesting to direct NTPC to address the concerns of the State due to closure of TTPS and take steps for early execution of the Stage-III project.