The project proposal for the prestigious Bhadradri Thermal Power Plant at Manuguru, Khammam, has run into rough weather due to the sub-critical technology proposed for the plant.
The expert committee constituted under the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests has recommended that the project be either changed to supercritical or be presented before the Ministry of Power for prior approval.
The committee has made recommendations for additional Terms of Reference for Environmental Impact Assessment and Environment Management Plant, under which the company should explore the feasibility of installing Super Critical Technology. “If sub-critical is proposed, prior approval of MoP shall be submitted. Accordingly, the EIA/EMP shall be prepared,” the recommendations read.
The project to be implemented by the BHEL constitutes four units, each of 270MW capacity, which, according to experts, is an anachronism for the age of supercritical and ultra-supercritical technologies represented by units with capacities equal or above 660MW.
TSGenco had agreed to employment of the sub-critical technology due to power crisis prevailing at the time of signing the MoU in October, 2014. The understanding was that BHEL would bring down the gestation period of the project by one year, by employing the ready-for-installation units lying idle with it.
Due to cancellation of coal block allocations by the Supreme Court, four units meant for another private power project in Maharashtra were left unutilised with BHEL, which it intended to use for the 1080 MW project in Manuguru. In its observations, the MoEF expert committee reminded TSGenco that the latest orders by Central Electricity Authority and Ministry of Power allowed only supercritical technology for thermal power plants. Hence, the company shall seek an exemption from CEA for the project. Supercritical technology is preferred across the world for thermal power projects, for its fuel efficiency, reduced emissions and economies of scale, said sources in the Energy department. In view of the committee seeking TSGenco to retire its older units with 60MW and 120MW capacities in KTPS, the day is not far when the same criterion would be applied to 270 MW units too, they opined.
