The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) will provide an additional 1,657 MW of power to UP by the end of 2016-17 fiscal.
Presently, UP buys 4,344 MW from the NTPC - largest power generator in the country. Of this 3,104 MW is supplied by the pnats of the public sector undertaking within the state and the rest from plants in other states.
The NTPC has 17 coal based and 7 gas based power stations across the country. It also has several joint ventures including 6 coal-based power generation stations and other stations use Naphtha / lNG as fuel.
Regional Executive Director of the NTPC, Saptarshi Roy told the media in lucknow, “The NTPC is adding fresh generation capacity of 3,148 MW in UP which are in various stages. The projects include a new unit of 500 MW at Unchahaar thermal power plant, two new units of 660 MW each at Tanda plant and one unit of 660 MW in Meja project. These projects will be commissioned in the next fiscal and will give additional 1,657 MW to UP by the end of 2016-17 fiscal.’’
The NTPC honcho said that the new unit of 660 MW at Tanda is expected to be augmented next fiscal while the other units are likely to be commissioned by September 2018.
The Unchahar plant in Rae Bareli was acquired by the NTPC from the then UP State Electricity Board in 1992 and the Tanda plant in Ambedkar Nagar was acquired against power dues on the UPSEB in 1998.
“Besides as a pilot initiative, the NTPC is adding 8 MW hydro-project at Singrauli plant utilising existing water flow in the discharge channel of which 4MW will be given to UP. In six NTPC plant, wastage of water has been prevented and the discharge water is recycled.” said Roy.
He added that the NTPC is also working on 660 X 2 or 1,320 MW greenfield thermal power project in Bilhaur (Kanpur) to be commissioned in 2020. For this a land tract of 400 hectares has been acquired while the coal linkage is awaited.
On the issue of pollution notice by government agencies, Roy explained, “The NTPC is complying with the orders of UP Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) and National Green Tribunal (NGT). The fly ash generated by thermal power plants are being disposed as per environmental norms. In Unchahar, 80 percent of the fly ash is disposed while in Tanda the target is to dispose 100 percent fly ash which are being used by cement companies, brick klins and for filling low-lying areas.
He said that talks are on with National Highway Authority of India for using the fly ash in the construction of new road projects.