NTPC's upcoming 500Mw unit delayed

Delay in the construction of main plant of the proposed 500 Mw unit in the National Thermal Power Company (NTPC)'s Korba power project has put a leading construction company under the scanner.

NTPC had awarded the civil works of the main plant to the company, which has its head office in Kolkata. The company, however, failed to execute work within the deadline. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 76 crore.Despite repeated follow-up from NTPC officials, the construction company is yet to meet deadline in the critical civil work related areas including the Left Hand Side (LHS) Mill and Bunker balance works. The project has been delayed by nearly a year. The synchronization and commissioning of 500 MW Unit VII of NTPC's Korba project is getting delayed due to the development.

NTPC is now planning to partially offload works allotted to the construction company, a top official said. NTPC had signed a Power Purchase Agreement to provide 35 per cent of power from its proposed 500 Mw unit to Chhattisgarh. "Once commissioned, this unit will be the first merchant power plant of the NTPC," the company official said.The Korba project had started its first unit in 1983. The project has three units of 200 Mw each and three units of 500 Mw each. the plant to 2600 Mw.