Phase 2 of NTPC's Simhadri unit will be ready by end of financial year with the commissioning of the third unit of 500 MW

The second phase of the NTPC-Simhadri power plant at Parawada near here will be partly completed by the end of the financial year, with the commissioning of the third unit (500 MW), according to Mr Ambarish N. Dave, Regional Executive Director (South).

At a press meet in the Simhadri plant on Thursday, Mr Dave said the second phase consisted of setting up two more units of 500 MW apiece, in addition to the two existing units of 500 MW each in operation, at a cost of Rs 5,000 crore. “The expansion project is running smoothly and there are no time overruns or cost overruns. The third unit will be commissioned during the current financial year and the fourth one during the next,” he said. After completion of the second phase, the total capacity of Simhadri would rise to 2,000 MW from the present 1,000 MW.

Andhra Pradesh would get about 35 per cent of the additional capacity (1,000 MW), he said. There was no problem with the coal linkage for the expanded capacity and, if necessary, the Government had authorised NTPC to import coal.

Southern projects

Mr Dave said that in association with the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board, NTPC had taken up a thermal project at Vallur, with two units (500 MW apiece) being set up in the first phase and one (500 MW) in the second. This project was in execution.NTPC was also taking up a new project at Kudgi in Bijapur district of Karnataka, with three units of 800 MW apiece in the first phase and two of 800 MW apiece in the second. A wind energy project (500 MW) was also being taken up in Bagalkot district in that State, he added.Besides, Rajiv Gandhi Combined Cycle Power Project stage two (1050 MW — three units of 350 MW apiece) was being taken up in Kerala.He said all these projects would be completed by 2017, as NTPC had set itself the target of achieving 75,000 MW by that year.

Plant Load Factor

Mr Dave said the plant load factor of the Simhadri plant had dipped slightly during the current financial year till October, but it would rise again. The plant operated at 97.27 per cent PLF during 2009-10 and till October, the PLF during the current financial year was 93.02 per cent.

FlyashResponding to a question on flyash and the problems faced by the surrounding villages, he said a study by the Andhra University had clearly shown that there were no health problems due to the ash. “The AP Pollution Control Board has directed us to get another study conducted and we are doing it. We are also conducting regular medical camps in the villages in the vicinity to provide medical services to the residents. We shall continue to do so as a part of our corporate social responsibility, even though flyash is not a problem.”