Energy Central-News Article

India, June 4 -- The 660MW unit 2 of NTPC Barh Super Thermal Power Plant (STPP) stage I is likely to attain full load in the coming week, making it eligible for a 72-hour trial run at full load before declaration of commercial operation, said a spokesperson of the NTPC.

Bihar will get 383 MW additional power from the plant once the unit begins commercial generation.

"The unit attained a power generation capacity of 652 MW on Saturday and is likely to achieve its full load of 660 MW in the coming week. We will then write to the Eastern Regional Load Dispatch Centre (ERLDC), Kolkata, seeking permission for a 72-hour trial run as per Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) norms before the declaration of commercial operation of the unit," said Vishwanath Chandan, spokesperson of the NTPC.

"If everything goes as per plan, we expect to begin commercial operations from the unit this month," Chandan added.

Union power minister RK Singh, who is keeping a close tab on the progress of the plant, called up DSGSS Babji, regional executive director (RED), NTPC eastern Region-I, on Sunday to check its current status. Babji is scheduled to visit Barh on Monday, said officials.

The additional power from this unit will help tide over its power requirement during peak summer.

Bihar's present quota from the central sector is 6,592 MW, but it does not get as much power because of technical issues. The state's average daily consumption of power is 6,600 MW and it has to purchase 500-1,000 MW power from the open power exchange.

The first of the three units of 660 MW each of stage I began generation from November 12, 2021. Chief minister Nitish Kumar and power minister Singh had formally inaugurated the plant on November 27, 2021. Work on the second unit of stage I is on the verge of completion, while commercial generation of unit III is likely to be completed by the end of this financial year.

This unit was to have been completed around 13 years back but it got delayed as Technopromexport (TPE), the Russian firm, which was initially executing the project could not complete it within the deadline of 2010 because of financial issues, leading to termination of contract on January 14, 2015, almost a decade after it was awarded the work on March 14, 2005.

The two 660MW units (IV and V) of stage II of the Barh STPP have been generating power from November 15, 2014 and February 18, 2016, respectively. The first 660 MW unit of stage I is already under commercial generation from November 2021.

The NTPC Barh STPP has a combined installed capacity of 3,300 MW (5 x 660MW), with stage I of 1980MW and stage II of 1,320MW, of which three units, having an installed capacity of 1,980 MW, are under commercial operation. Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Hindustan Times. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at contentservices@htlive.com