Neyveli's Rs 4,910 cr Tuticorin power project nearing completion

State-run miner Neyveli Lignite's 1,000 MW thermal power plant at Tuticorin is in advanced stages of completion, a development that will help it achieve over 4,200 MW generation capacity.

"Implementation of a coal-based thermal power project of 1,000 MW capacity at Tuticorin through the subsidiary company NMDC Tamil Nadu Power Ltd, formed in joint venture with TANGEDCO, is in an advanced stage of completion," Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) Chairman B Surender Mohan said.

The plant, which entailed an investment of Rs 4,910 crore, could achieve 86% progress by August.

The ignite miner plans to take its installed power generation capacity to 4,240 MW by the end of the current fiscal, on the back of ongoing power projects.

It has an installed capacity of about 3,000 MW at present.

The Centre had earlier approved implementation of coal based 2x500 MW thermal power project at Tuticorin.

To meet the coal requirement, the company is also examining proposals from from Indonesia, Australia, Mozambique, the US and a few other countries offering coal assets and long-term fuel supplies among other things for its upcoming power projects.

NLC has plans for growth in power generation capacity. It is expanding activities in Neyveli and other parts. Its fuel needs are likely to shoot up to 10 MTPA once all these projects are commissioned.

It is already in the process of setting up two power projects in Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh at an estimated cost of Rs 24,770 crore, to take its capacity to 11,195 MW.

In Tamil Nadu, it has plans to set up a 4,000 MW coal- based power plant near Thirumullaivasal village of Sirkali taluk, Nagapattinam district. In Uttar Pradesh, it will set up a 1,980 MW (3X660 MW) plant in Ghatampur in Kanpur Nagar district at an estimated cost of Rs 14,375.4 crore.

Besides, in Rajasthan, the company "has proposed setting up a thermal power plant of 250 MW capacity... At an aggregate estimated cost of Rs 2,298.83 crore.

Also, it has planned to set up another new power plant in Rajasthan with a capacity of 250 MW as an extension of the existing power plant there at an investment of Rs 2041.78 crore.

The 'Navratna' firm operates four mines with a total capacity 30.6 MTPA, and four thermal power stations of total capacity of about 3,000 MW.