The Ghatampur thermal power plant of Nevyeli Lignite Corporation (NLC) is likely to be operational by the end of this year, the ministry of coal said on Wednesday (August 2). The Rs 19,406 crore project is being set up as a joint venture between NLC and the Uttar Pradesh government.

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Another thermal power plant near Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh is being set up at a cost of Rs 5,600 crore as a joint venture between the Madhya Pradesh government and Coal India subsidiary, South Eastern Coalfields Ltd (SECL).

The thermal power plant in Ghatampur will generate 3 X 660 MW power and will supply 1478.28 MW to UP and 492.72 MW to Assam. The thermal power plant in Amarkantak will have a capacity of 1 X 660 MW for which the work will start by the end of this fiscal and will be completed by 2028, according to a release by the ministry of coal.

NLC has also planned to set up a 3 X 800 MW pithead thermal power plant in Talabira, Odisha with a cost of Rs 19,422 crore. The project is set to start by the end of this year as tendering for the project is at the final stage. The Talabira plant which is expected to finish completion by 2028-29 will supply 1450 MW to Tamil Nadu, 100 MW to Pondicherry, and 400 MW to Kerala.

Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd's (MCL) subsidiary Mahanadi Basin Power Ltd is planning to set up a 2 x 800 MW thermal power plant near Basundhara Mines, another pithead plant. Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) worth 4000 MW are under progress for the project worth Rs 15,947 crore which is set to be completed by 2028.

The ministry of coal has advised all subsidiaries of Coal India Ltd to identify suitable de-coaled land which can be offered for setting up of new pithead thermal power plants, as per the release.

The cost of power generation is much cheaper at pithead as a unit of power can be generated in less than four rupees. At pithead, the fixed cost per unit is about Rs 2.5 and the variable cost at pithead is about Rs 1.25 per unit.

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