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With the Union ministry of power targeting retirement of four thermal units of NTPC’s Talcher Thermal Power Station (TTPS), Odisha is set to lose 250 Mw power.
The four thermal units of NTPC, each with capacity of 62.5 Mw, are to be phased out since they are old units commissioned during 1967-69.
The scrapping of old thermal units is as per the National Electricity Plan (2012-17) wherein 4,000 Mw capacity has been identified to be retired, mainly non-reheat type coal-based units, lignite and gas-based units. These units are to be shutdown in a phased manner during the 12th Plan period (2012-17).
Presently, the NTPC TTPS dedicated entirely to Odisha, has a capacity of 460 Mw. The maharatna firm has plans to add two 660 Mw super critical units to this power station which it had acquired from the erstwhile Orissa State Electricity Board (OSEB).
The Union power ministry in a letter to NTPC’s chairman and managing director has called for initiating necessary action to retire the units in a phased manner. The matter has also been communicated to Odisha’s energy department. The ministry argued that Odisha would not suffer from the closure of the four NTPC units since power capacity addition in the state from Central, state and private sectors during the 12th Plan has been projected at 4,574 Mw. Out of this, capacity addition of 1,816 Mw has already been achieved by January 2014. The balance 2,758 Mw is expected to be commissioned during the remaining period of the 12th Plan.
After receiving letter from the central power ministry, the state government has asked its bulk power purchaser Gridco to furnish information on the tariff of power purchase from NTPC’s generating stations outside Odisha. The government has asked Gridco to provide details on PLF (plant load factor) and coal consumption of the four units for the last 10 years. Also, Gridco is required to submit if any RMU (renovation, modernisation and upgradation) has been done recently for the four NTPC units to increase the residual life of the plant.
The retirement of old thermal units by the central power ministry and their subsequent replacement with new and more efficient units is aimed at improving the efficiency of the coal-based generating stations. This has been identified as an effective way to use the fuel and minimise the greenhouse gas emissions. The goal of achieving the increased efficiency of coal-based thermal power stations is being taken up by increasing the unit size, using clean coal technology, renovation and modernisation of old units, energy efficiency improvement, coal quality improvement and retirement of old and inefficient units.
In the 11th Plan (2007-12), 2,398 Mw capacity was retired consisting of coal and lignite units of unit size less than 100 Mw.
