NTPC, India’s largest power company, has invited tenders for the ‘coal handling plant’ package for the 1,600-MW Gadarwara Super Thermal Power Project, Stage-I, at Gadarwara in Narsinghpur district of Madhya Pradesh.The international competitive bidding for the power project [IFB No.CS-9572-155-2] follows the environment clearance granted in March this year by the Ministry of Environment and Forests.The scope of work for the project includes, among other things, detailed design, engineering and manufacture as well as construction, erection, supervision, testing, commissioning and handing over the coal handling plant for the 2×800 MW power plant. The scope also includes all associated electrical, civil, structural and architectural works.NTPC intends to finance this package out of its own resources and through external commercial borrowings. The cost of the project is estimated at Rs.11,405 crore.According to the original plan, Gadarwara STPP was to have four units of 660 MW each totalling 2,640 MW. However, this was later reconfigured to 2×800 MW. The company has no plans to undertake Stage-II in near future.
NTPC has earmarked 1,990 acres of land for the project out of which 1,350 acres have been assigned for Stage-I. About 318 acres is barren land owned by the state government and transferred to NTPC. Another 45 acres of government agriculture land is under transfer to the power utility. About 1,580 acres is private agriculture land. A part of the land will be set aside for water reservoir, ash pond, township and miscellaneous corridors.
The coal requirement for the power project is 8 million tpa at 90 per cent plant load factor. Coal will be acquired from Talaipalli coal block in Chhattisgarh, which has received environment and forest clearance.
Water for the power plant will be sourced from Narmada river through a pipeline laid at a distance of about 30 km from the project site. A small weir will be constructed on the river by the state water resources department so as to prevent submergence.
The Gadarwara Super Thermal Power Project, Stage-I, is part of NTPC’s plan to add over 14,000 MW capacity during the ongoing 12th Five-Year Plan period and maintain its position as the largest power generator in India. At present, 16,809 MW of power projects are under construction.
