Kudagi plant: Hydrogen test successful at unit 1

Station likely to start production from early 2016

Production is likely to commence by March next year at the first of the three units of the Kudagi thermal power project, National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) technical division managing director A Satyabhama has said.

Addressing mediapersons at the project site in Kudagi on Friday, Satyabhama said work is on in full swing at the site and soon after production begins, the unit will start distribution of power from June 2016.

Work related to the first phase of the project, which aims at producing 800 mega watt power each through three units (total of 2,400 mega watt), is underway.

The boiler and other systems required for the first unit are almost 70 percent in place, while it is half complete for the second unit. She added that within six months of the completion of the second unit, the third unit would start generating power. “The project would start generating 2,400 mega watt power latest by 2017,” she said. 

Speaking on the progress of work, she said the hydrogen test for the boiler of the first unit has been done. Arrangements are also being made to get water supply.

Two water storage plants would be constructed at the site to store 5.2 tmc ft water, she said. The project will need 3.42 tmc ft water to complete the first phase and water needed for 45 days would only be stored at a time. 

Satyabhama maintained that there would be no shortage of coal for the project as two coal mines, one at Banawa of Jharkhand and the other at Balamood of Chhattisgarh, have been exclusively reserved for supplying coal to Kudagi.

She added that NTPC has paid Rs 946 crore to the Indian Railway for doubling the 100-km railway line between Hotagi and Kudagi. The doubling work is expected to commence this year. Till the doubling work is complete, coal would come to Kudagi only via the single track.  

Referring to the fly ash of the project, she said that five cement companies of Bagalkot district are in touch with the NTPC. “Talks with more companies are being contemplated,” she said.