E-Paper
New thermal power unit: Haryana govt allots tender for 800 MW unit to BHEL
The new 800 MW unit to be set up in engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) mode will be an extension of the two 300 MW units of Deendbandhu Chhotu Ram Thermal Power Plant (DCRTPP) at Yamunanagar.
The Haryana government has allotted the contract to set up an 800 megawatt (MW) supercritical thermal power unit at Yamunanagar to Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited (BHEL), a central government public sector undertaking.
The new 800 MW unit to be set up in engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) mode will be an extension of the two 300 MW units of Deendbandhu Chhotu Ram Thermal Power Plant (DCRTPP) at Yamunanagar.
Chief minister ML Khattar who chaired a meeting of the high-powered works purchase committee (HPWPC) late Monday evening approved the tender for the construction of the 800 MW unit to BHEL at a cost of ₹6,900 crore.
The Haryana Power Generation Corporation Limited (HPGCL) had on January 16, 2023, floated a global tender for setting up the 800 MW unit in EPC mode. BHEL was the sole bidder for the project though Larsen and Toubro took part in the pre-bid meeting.
Officials said that the brownfield project, the work on which is likely to start in next couple of months, is expected to start commercial operation in 48 months with the final take over expected in 57 months from the date of award. The state government is trying to seek Prime Minister’s nod for laying the foundation stone of the 800 MW unit.
HPGCL officials said the 800 MW supercritical unit would have 8% more capacity than the previously installed units. This will reduce coal consumption and make electricity cheaper, officials said.
The new unit will increase Haryana’s energy generation capacity to 3,382 MW. The state, at present, has about 14,000 MW of contracted power out of which 2,582 is generated by power plants of HPGCL.
The state also gets power from Jhajjar based Mahatma Gandhi Super Thermal Power Project of CLP and Indira Gandhi Super Thermal Power Project, a joint venture of NTPC, HPGCL and Indraprastha Power Generation Company.
In October last year, the Union power ministry had given a go-ahead to the state government to set up the 800 MW unit Yamunanagar.
Earlier, an informal suggestion was made by the Prime Minister to the Union power ministry for exploring the feasibility of setting up the power plant at a coal pit head outside Haryana.
The state power utilities had in June 2023, contested the central ministry’s argument and told the central electricity authority that state based power plants were more beneficial as compared to the pit head power plants considering the cost to consumer factor.
In a June 27, 2023, communication to the CEA, the HPGCL said that the total landed cost of power from a Haryana based power unit would be ₹3.23 per unit as compared to ₹3.38 per unit from a pithead-based power unit outside the state. The cost analysis done by the generator taking into account transportation of coal cost, point of connection charges impact, energy charge rates and return on equity estimated savings of about ₹185 crores per year.
