Hyderabad: State-run power producer NTPC has decided to set up its first ultra super critical power plant in the country at its greenfield power project at Pudimadaka near Vizag in Andhra Pradesh.
“NTPC will be setting up a 1,000 megawatt ultra super critical unit (USCU) in the country near Vizag. This technology, which is more efficient than super critical technology is being used for the first time by NTPC in the country,” an official source in NTPC said. NTPC is also the first company to use this technology in India.
Earlier, the company was planning to set up five units of 800 MW each. However, it has recently changed its strategy to set up four units of 1,000 MW.
The company has filed a TOR for environmental assessment study on January 9 and is expected to conduct a public hearing on January 29. The cost of the project is expected to be Rs 20,000 crore and 1,200 acre of land has already been alloted to the company by the AP government.
The 4000 MW Pudimadaka project will be run on imported coal and requires 14 million metric tonnes of coal a year.
With more than 65 per cent of India’s electricity being generated from thermal power plants, the government has been trying to focus on developing highly efficient power plants, which pose minimal damage to the environment.
According to an expert, USCU require less coal per megawatt-hour, leading to lower emissions, higher efficiency and lower fuel costs per megawatt. These plants operate above 275 kg/cm2 pressure and MS/RH temperatures of 593°C. A one percentage point improvement in the efficiency of a conventional pulverised coal combustion plant results in a 2-3 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions.
Meanwhile, the company has also began the tender process for the 4,000 MW power project at Ramagundam in Telangana.
