03/12/2013

 

NTPC Barh to start power generation from January


Patna,(BiharTimes): The first Unit of Stage-II of the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) at Barh appears all set to start commercial generation by next month as state-owned Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd, a power equipment firm, commissioned its first 660-MW super critical thermal unit on Saturday night. Out of 660MW, Bihar, as per the latest arrangement with the Centre, will get 330 MW.

BHEL on Sunday announced that its 660 MW Boiler Turbine Generator (BTG) unit, having super critical parameters, attained full load at the Barh thermal project. This package for Stage II Unit 4 of the project being implemented by NTPC.

According to the power purchase agreement NTPC will have to start commercial production within three months of attaining full load. Thus it expects that commercial production would start by January 2014, after meeting certain technical formalities with the Union ministry of power.

The NTPC wants to start commercial production soon as it is incurring a loss to the tune of several crores.

The executive director of Barh project K S Garbyal praised the efforts and hard work of its engineers and workmen. The Unit-4 of Stage 2 of Barh project will also start generating power within nine months. On commissioning, it will contribute another 330MW to Bihar.

The foundation of Barh NTPC plant was laid on March 6, 1999 by the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

With this the power scenario in the state is set to improve in months to come. Besides, within three months, Bihar will be getting an additional 440MW, including 110MW from Kanti thermal power project at Muzaffarpur, whose generation was inaugurated by the chief minister Nitish Kumar last month. By next year-end, Bihar will be getting nearly 3,000MW of power from all sources, including 110x2 MW from Kanti and 330x2 MW from Barh. At present, Bihar is getting over 2,300MW from all sources.

However, sources in electricity board told the Bihar Times that the state government is giving subsidy of Rs 2,400 crore annually––that is Rs 200 crore per month. The new purchase from NTPC would further add to the subsidy. So sooner or later it will have to raise the rate of power in the state.

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