GENCO Seeks Nod for 800MW Supercritical Plant at Ramagundam

Hyderabad: The Telangana Power Generation Corporation Limited (Genco), has sought approval from the government to go ahead with the setting up of a 1x800 MW coal-based super critical thermal power plant at Ramagundam.

The proposed plant will replace the aged 1x62.5 MW Ramagundam B Thermal Power Station, which the TGGenco is awaiting government permission to decommission. The proposed 800 MW plant will come up in its place.

Genco in its request to the energy department, also laid out the need for setting up the thermal power station, a proposal first mooted in September last year. Genco said the final detailed project report (DPR) for the plant was approved by its board on September 9 this year, and urged the government to grant administrative sanction.

It said Telangana’s demand for power was expected to rise from 17,612 MW in 2025 to 25,639 MW in 2030, and further to around 31,809 MW by FY 2035. Hence, along with augmentation of generation using renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power stations, “it is imperative to augment the thermal generation capacity, which alone can sustain continuous base load operation and provide round-the-clock power support to industrial, commercial, and agricultural sectors.”

Projects such as the 800 MW supercritical thermal station at Ramagundam were required as “during 2025-2030, a total of 2,400 MW of new thermal capacity” will be required, Genco said. “These projects are critical to bridge the immediate supply gap and stabilise the grid during non-solar hours.”

Genco also said that as per the resource adequacy plan of Telangana by the Central Electricity Authority, despite the ongoing expansion of solar, wind, and other renewable sources, the state may experience substantial energy deficits — nearly 29,000 million units by 2030 — “due to the inherent intermittency of renewables and the increasing base load,” which it said is rising at a compounded annual growth rate of 5.04 per cent.

Power plan

1x800MW super critical thermal power plant at Ramagundam.

Project cost: Rs 10,893.05 crore.

Time: 48 months for construction, commissioning.

Cost per MW: Rs 13.62 crore.

Levelised tariff: Rs 7.97 per kilowatt hour.

Coal requirement: 3.053 million tonnes per annum.

Water requirement: 2,365 cubic metres per hour from Sripada Yellampalli reservoir.

Land needed: 650 acres, including additional acquisition of 345 acres.