Sembcorp launches 2,640 MW thermal power complex in Andhra

The complex in Nellore houses two identical super critical coal-fired thermal power plants of 1,320 MW each

Singapore’s Sembcorp Industries has formally launched the 2,640 MW Sembcorp Gayatri Power Complex in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh on Saturday.

The complex houses two identical super critical coal-fired thermal power plants of 1,320 MW each.

These were developed by two separate SPVs- the first one by Thermal Powertech Corporation(TPCIL) which was operationalised in September, 2015 , and the second plant by NCC Power Projects(NCCPP) has newly come on stream. Sembcorp holds majority stake in the total venture.

Built at a total cost of $3 billion (Rs 20,000 crore), the power complex is the largest foreign direct investment-driven project on a single site in the thermal power sector in India to date. Sembcorp owns 67.4% in TPCIL and 49% in NCCPP.

Gayatri Energy Ventures, a subsidiary of Hydrabad-based Gayatri Projects holds the remaining 42.6% stake in TPCIL. In NCCP 51% is held by the NCC Infrastructure, which is jointly owned by Hyderabad-based NCC Limited and Gayatri Projects.

Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Singapore Trade and Industry Minister S Eswaran, Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal, Union Envirnment Minister Prakash Javadekar, Sembcorp chairman Ang Kong Hua and a host of other Central and state ministers attended the launch function.

"The successful launch of Sembcorp Gayatri Power Complex demonstrates Sembcorp’s strong capabilities in developing, owing and operating large-scale energy projects, and reinforces our commitment to India as a reliable, long term partnenr. We believe this is a significant step in helping to meet tghe increasing power needs in India,” Tang Kin, Group President and CEO of Sembcorp said.

With this power complex, Sembcorp altogether now has 3,500 MW of thermal and renewable energy capacity in India, according to a company statement.