State power sector poised for a big leap

Balance of plant works in progress at both NTTPS and Krishnapatnam

KARIMNAGAR (AP) -10-10-2011 - BL/ 'SAKALAJANULA SAMME' IN TELANGANA :Power generation at NTPC Super Thermal Power project at Ramagundam in Karimnagar District of Andhra Pradesh has been hit due to shortage of coal supply from Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) for the past 27 days 'Sakalajanula Samme' . Of the 2,600-MW installed capacity , the plant is able to generate less than 1,000 MW .The stoppage of coal has led to the shut down as NTPC is unable to cope with low plant load factor. PHOTO: P.V.SIVAKUMAR .

The power sector in Andhra Pradesh is poised to receive a big boost with the likely commissioning of two 800 Megawatts units — one at Dr. Narla Tatarao Thermal Power Station (NTTPS) at Ibrahimpatnam, near Vijayawada, and the other at Sri Damodaram Sanjeevaiah Thermal Power Station (SDSTPS) at Krishnapatnam — by June 2019.

According to official sources, the Balance of Plant (BoP) works are in advanced stage at both plants. Of the total contract value of ₹4,722-plus crore (BoP ₹2,300 crore and Boiler-Turbine-Generator ₹2,422 crore) works at NTTPS, ₹2,268 crore has been spent. At SDSTPS, the contract value of works is ₹5,082 crore and ₹2,275 crore has been spent till date.

A 600 MW unit has been recently commissioned at the Rayalaseema Thermal Power Station in Kadapa district, and the first three units of the 12 units of 80 MW capacity each of the Polavaram hydro-electric project, for which foundation stone is expected to be laid soon, are targeted to be commissioned by the end of 2021.

Coal supply

Meanwhile, the supply of coal remains a problem mainly due to the non-availability of rakes, but the impact on the overall power supply is not much due to the steady increase in the renewable energy generation.

The total requirement of coal of NTTPS (1760 MW), RTPP (1650 MW) and SDSTPS (1600 MW) stands at 21.84 Metric tonnes Per Annum (MTPA), but there is a shortfall of 4.2 MTPA.

As far as the solar energy generation is concerned, the 1000-MW solar park (No. 1) in Anantapur district has made significant progress as 250 MW was commissioned and the balance is set for completion this year.

This project is being developed by the National Thermal Power Corporation.

Four other solar parks with an aggregate capacity of 3,000 MW in Kadapa, Kurnool and Anantapur districts are in advanced stages of implementation by various developers.