NTPC's Lara thermal project to start by March 2017

State utility NTPC's 4,000-MW Lara thermal project in Chhattisgarh will go on stream by March 2017, with a likely commissioning of its first 800-MW unit.

"The first unit (of 800 MW) of NTPC's Lara thermal project may be commissioned in the fourth quarter of the next financial year," a company official said.

The project, which would have a total capacity of 4,000 MW, is expected to see an overall investment of about Rs 30,000 crore. Power generated from the Lara project will be supplied to Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Goa.

The country's largest power producer had earlier said it will invest nearly Rs 12,000 crore in setting up the 1,600-MW first stage of the thermal power project.

The project is based on super critical technology.

Coal from Talaipalli mine will be supplied to the Lara Super Thermal Power Project, for which NTPC had already signed a memorandum of understanding with the government of Chhattisgarh, a company official said.

The present installed capacity of the company is 45,548 MW. NTPC has over 23,000 MW capacity under construction and nearly 9,500 MW is up for bidding.

Last fiscal, the company generated 260.58 billion units of power, translating into a market share of 24.95% of the country's total power generation.

NTPC is likely to exceed the thermal capacity addition target of 11,920 MW set by the government for the 12th Five-year Plan.