BHEL starts 500 Mw thermal unit at Anpara-D power plant

This is a 1st of its kind project where the power plant has been set up on an abandoned ash pond, saving scarce land

The state-owned power equipment maker BHEL on Thursday said it has commissioned a 500 Mw unit at Anpara-D thermal power plant in Uttar Pradesh.

"Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) has achieved yet another landmark in the power development programme... By successfully commissioning the second 500 Mw thermal unit at Anpara-D thermal power plant (TPP) in Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh," the company said in a statement.

With this, BHEL has added 2,320 Mw of generating capacity in Uttar Pradesh in the current financial year, it said.

This is a first of its kind project where the power plant has been set up on an abandoned ash pond, saving scarce land.

Setting up of power plant on an ash pond requires special technological innovations in civil engineering. Successful execution of this project has offered an alternative option for future projects facing land constraints, it said.

BHEL was given the contract for setting up two units of 500 Mw each at Anpara-D TPP by Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd (UPRVUNL).

The first 500 Mw unit of the project was earlier commissioned in June 2015.

In addition, BHEL recently commissioned two sets of 660 Mw rating in UP, at Bara in December 2015 and Lalitpur in January.