Ultra-supercritical tech to power NTPC Lara plant in Chhattisgarh

NTPC’s upcoming 1,600 megawatt (Mw) Lara thermal power plant in Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh district will be laced with ultra-supercritical technology.

Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for stage-II (2×800 Mw) of the project. He also dedicated stage-I (2×800 Mw) of NTPC’s Lara super thermal power station.

While stage-I of the station is built with an investment of approximately Rs 15,800 crore, the stage-II will be constructed on the available land of stage-I. Thus, no additional land will be required for the expansion. Stage-II will entail an investment of Rs 15,530 crore, an NTPC spokesperson said.

The unit will be powered with ultra-super critical technology, with an efficiency of 1 per cent more at 41.5 per cent than current supercritical technology of 40.5 per cent, he said.

The stage-II project will play a crucial role from an environmental point of view, as less coal will be required for producing electricity. Coal for this pithead power plant will be met from its own captive Talaipali coal mine through a merry-go-round (MGR) system, which will ensure considerably less per unit energy input cost from other power plants.

With all the attributes, the spokesperson said, the power plant would help fulfil the growing energy demand in the state as well as central and western parts of the country. Half of the generated electricity is provided to the home state.

The other beneficiary states are Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, Daman & Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

The NTPC spokesperson said the installation of the project was creating direct and indirect employment opportunities in the region. Besides, NTPC is taking up various community development initiatives in the nearby areas, such as in the field of education, drinking water, sanitation, health, and women empowerment.