Indus Valley Times

By Mahendra Kumar Darjee

Sambalpur, Jan. 3: Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on Saturday dedicated NTPC Darlipali Super Thermal Power Station (2×800 MW), NSPCL Rourkela PP-II Expansion Project (1×250 MW) and laid the foundation stone of NTPC Talcher Thermal Power Project, Stage-III (2×660 MW) with a total investment of Rs 28,978 Crore during a programme at Sambalpur.

Located in Sundargarh district of Odisha, Darlipali STPSis a pit-head Power Station with Supercritical (highly efficient)Technology, and is supplying low-cost power to its beneficiary states, such as Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Gujarat and Sikkim.

The 250 MW project of NTPC-SAIL Power Company Ltd is established in Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) to provide reliable power for the steel plant which is vital for economic growth.

Further, NTPC is developing Talcher Thermal Power Project, Stage-III within old TTPS plant premisesin Angul district of Odisha, which was taken over by NTPC from Odisha State Electricity Board in the year 1995. The old TTPS plant was decommissioned after completing more than 50 years of service to the Nation.

The upcoming plant will have highly efficient Ultra Super Critical Technology based units and approximately three times capacity of the old TTPS plant. While 50% capacity from this project is dedicated to the state of Odisha, other beneficiary states such as Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Assam will also get low-cost power from this pit-head station.

This project is being constructed with all modern environmental features like efficient electrostatic precipitator, Flue gas desulphurization, bio-mass cofiring, covered storage space for coal and will thus help in lesser Specific Coal Consumption and CO₂ emissions.

Besides creating direct and indirect employment opportunities in the region, these projects have contributed to improvement of physical infrastructure such as approach road, drainage, transportation and communication facilities. Various community development initiatives are also being undertaken by NTPC in the surrounding villages in the area of education, drinking water, sanitation, health, women empowerment, rural sports, etc. NTPC has also set up a Medical College cum Hospital in Sundargarh, Odisha.

Odisha governor Raghubar Das, chief minister Naveen Patnaik; Union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Ashwini Vaishnaw and Bishweswar Tudu were among others present at the ceremony.