Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has allowed interchange of power, including drawl of start-up power and injection of infirm power into the grid up to March 24, 2022, with respect to NTPC’s Barh thermal power project.
The relaxation relates to the first unit of 660-mw of NTPC’s 3×660-mw Barh super thermal power project (Stage I), taking shape in Patna district, Bihar.
This unit was first synchronized to grid on September 27, 2020. At that time, CERC had allowed the aforementioned interchange of power up to September 25, 2021, or the actual date of commercial operation, whichever was earlier. The same unit was synchronized to grid again in February, March and April 2021. However, commercial operations of the unit could not be achieved for several reasons including difficulty in mobilization due to pandemic-induced lockdown conditions.
As the unit is not likely to start commercial operations by September 25, 2021, CERC has granted extension of timeline of power interchange to March 24, 2022.
In its order, CERC observed, “It has been submitted by the Petitioner (NTPC) that it is seeking extension of time for bona-fide reasons for completion of all regulatory requirements and not for the purpose of trading in infirm power or otherwise to derive any undue advantage. It has been submitted by the Petitioner that time is required beyond September 25, 2021 to complete the balance work and to carry out the operation of testing and commissioning including injection of infirm power into the grid. Considering these facts, the Petitioner has requested for permission to inject infirm power till March 24, 2022 of Stage-I of Unit-I of the generating station.”
Long saga of delays
The contract for building NTPC’s Barh Stage-1 of 3×660-mw was placed on Russian contractors—TPE for boilers and Power Machines Group for turbine-generators—way back in 1999. As project execution took off, serious differences cropped up between NTPC and TPE. TPE’s demand for cost-escalation compensation was one of the points of difference. Ultimately, the contract with TPE was rescinded and the mandate for balance works was placed on Doosan Power Systems India. (It is not immediately clear if the contract with Power Machines Group was retained or, like that of TPE, placed on other contractors.)
If all had gone as per schedule, NTPC’s Barh Stage-1 would have been amongst India’s earliest thermal power plants with supercritical technology.
The EPC contract for Stage-2 (2×660-mw) was placed on Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. Stage-2 was completed as per schedule—the first unit was commissioned in November 2014 and the second in February 2016.
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Bihar to benefit
NTPC’s Barh project is expected to benefit Bihar significantly with other beneficiary states being Jharkhand, Odisha, Telangana and Sikkim. From the 2×660-mw Stage-2, Bihar is receiving 1,198 mw. The eastern state is slated to get another 1,025 mw from the 3×660-mw Stage-1.
Photographs sourced from “NTPC Barh Master”
