BHEL commissions country's first lignite-based 500 MW thermal unit

Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) said on Tuesday it has successfully commissioned the first lignite-based 500 megawatt thermal unit of the 2 x 500 MW Neyveli new thermal power project in Tamil Nadu.

Significantly, this is the country's first lignite-fired 500 MW power plant. It is also the highest rating pulverised lignite-fired thermal unit commissioned in the country so far.

The plant is based on once-through and tower type boiler design which has been adopted for the first time in the country for a lignite-based thermal unit, BHEL said in a statement.

Located in Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu, the project is owned by NLC India Ltd (NLCIL). The project's second unit is also in advanced stage of commissioning.

The key equipment for project was manufactured by BHEL at its Haridwar, Trichy, Hyderabad, Ranipet, Bhopal and Bengaluru works while the construction of plant was undertaken by the company's power sector in southern region at Chennai.

BHEL has successfully delivered higher rated units of 600 MW, 660 MW, 700 MW and 800 MW thermal sets in the past with a high degree of indigenisation.

The company has an installed base of over 1.85 lakh MW of power plant equipment globally.

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