State-owned NTPC will set up a 100-MW green power plant based on synthesis gas (coal turned into gas) and would appoint consultants for the same by the end of this year.
The plant will be based on Integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC), which creates less pollution and has higher efficiency compared to conventional coal.
“NTPC will appoint consultant for dealing with all techno-economic issues relating to 100 MW power project based on IGCC technology by December this year”, a Power Ministry source said.
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The project is part of NTPC’s cleaner coal drive. The technology turns coal into syngas (or synthesis gas) and removes impurities from it before it is combusted.
The emerging clean coal technology is gaining importance, as coal-based thermal power plants are heavily polluting.
Low-ash content coal is a prerequisite for IGCC and the technology has proved quite effective in countires where the ash content in coal is low (up to 10 per cent).
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However, the technology needs to be developed further to use it in the Indian scenario where ash content in coal varies between 35-40 per cent.
The 100-MW thermal power generation project based on IGCC is aimed at adapting the new technology to Indian conditions.