NTPC Projects – Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone and inaugurate several projects worth Rs 30,023 crore of public sector power generation company NTPC on Monday. NTPC said in a statement today that this project marks an important step towards sustainable development and economic growth. Modi ji will dedicate to the country Unit-2 (8000 MW) of NTPC’s Telangana Super Thermal Power Project (Stage-1) located in Pedyapalli district of Telangana.
These new electricity generation units will further bolster India’s energy security. But before understanding their benefits, let’s first look at NTPC’s pivotal role in powering India’s growth story over the past five decades!
All About NTPC Projects – India’s Largest Power Producer
NTPC Projects was founded way back in 1975 to accelerate coal-based thermal power generation across India after the Indo-Pak war exposed India’s electricity vulnerabilities. For over 45 years now, the Maharatna PSU company has been spearheading India’s mammoth power generation capacity.
Some key facts about NTPC Projects :
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Installed Power Capacity: Over 69 GW presently
- Share of India’s Electricity: Over 16%
- Power Units: 70+ (coal, gas, hydro, wind, solar)
- Employees: Around 20,000
As is evident, NTPC with its all-India presence and massive production volumes has been the backbone of India’s energy infrastructure since the 1970s.
The company operates giant coal-fired plants like Vindhyachal in Madhya Pradesh (4760 MW) and gas-based stations like Anta in Rajasthan (419 MW) along with hydro, wind and solar units. This vast, diversified capacity caters to the varied Indian terrain.
Now beyond traditional hydro, thermal and wind power, NTPC is also aggressively adopting new green technologies in sync with India’s climate change commitments:
- Floating solar plants over water bodies
- Waste-to-energy plants using municipal waste
- Green hydrogen production using renewable energy
Plus with expertise gained over five decades of excellence in power generation and engineering, NTPC delivers consulting services to nations like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives, Oman and even Ethiopia in Africa!
Clearly no organization understands India’s power needs better than NTPC with its nationwide presence and appetite for pioneering technologies. Now let’s explore the new projects launched by PM Modi to add to its vast generating capacity.
Launch of NTPC Projects Mouda Thermal-Solar Units in Maharashtra
In his address, the Prime Minister inaugurated the following three projects developed by NTPC at Mouda in Maharashtra:
1. 660 MW Thermal Power Unit at NTPC Mouda
- New unit doubles generation capacity at Mouda to 3000 MW
- Total investment over Rs. 8,000 crore
- Makes Mouda NTPC’s largest thermal power station now
2. 92 MW Floating Solar PV Unit at NTPC Mouda
- Floats on reservoir of Mouda Thermal Power Plant
- Part of NTPC’s plan to set up 250 MW floating solar pan-India
- Avoids water evaporation by covering some of reservoir
3. 10 MW Ground-Mounted Solar PV Unit
- Yet another solar project at Mouda site
- Takes NTPC’s total installed solar capacity to 372 MW
The unique floating solar plant is a fine example of NTPC’s pioneering approach – generating green power while conserving water for thermal plant functioning!
Launch of 2000 MW Dulanga Coal Power & 20 MW Solar Units in Odisha
The PM also performed ground-breaking for the following upcoming power projects in Odisha:
1. 2000 MW Dulanga Coal-Fired Thermal Power Station
- Will be NTPC’s first super-critical power unit in Odisha
- Estimated completion cost is Rs. 11,000+ crore
- Awaited since Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed a decade ago! 2. 20 MW Ground-Mounted Solar PV Power Project
- Will help meet auxiliary power needs of thermal plant
- Another step in NTPC’s renewable energy capacity building pan-India
Analysing the Benefits of these New Power Infrastructure Projects
The recently launched and upcoming electricity generation projects by NTPC will massively boost India’s power infrastructure:
- Over 4700 MW Generation Capacity Added: Includes 2000 MW Dulanga station
- Augments Grids: Units at Mouda strengthen western regional grid while Dulanga assists eastern grid
- Clean Technology: Dulanga designed for 100% imported coal with zero fly ash emissions
- Water Conservation: 92 MW floating solar at Mouda saves water reservoirs
- Renewable Expansion: Solar projects further green energy footprint
- Employment Opportunities: For people in host states during construction and plant operations
Clearly these capacity additions will go a long way in reinforcing India’s base load power supply needs as the economy grows while also adopting sustainable technologies.
Kudos to the 25,000 strong NTPC family including engineering staff and workers for their hard work in building India’s power backbone over the past many decades! The ongoing commissioning of new age projects shows NTPC remains as ambitious as ever for nation-building.
Analysing NTPC’s Pivotal Role in India’s Power Security
The choice of locations for these new projects also highlights why NTPC remains vital for securing 24×7 electricity access across India.
NTPC thermal power hubs are strategically located near captive coal mines that fuel these giant plants reliably:
- Obra-Auraiya in UP to power state with maximum demand
- Talcher station in Odisha meets high energy appetite of eastern states
- Upcoming Dudhichua plant in MP to tap massive coal reserves
- Presence down south in Telangana, Karnataka and now upcoming Tamil Nadu as well
Plus solar/wind capacity is now being added both in existing land parcels and new suitable sites. Such optimal siting of diverse power assets demonstrates NTPC’s unmatched experience in boosting regional grids pan-India!
At the technology level also, NTPC keeps adopting cutting-edge engineering in thermal power:
- Experimenting with hydrogen co-firing coal plants
- Piloting CO2 capture and storage at gas-based stations
- Leveraging high-grade emission control systems
And as mentioned earlier, floating solar units, waste-to-energy plants, green hydrogen projects etc. align perfectly with India’s balanced energy policy prioritising both coal and renewables.
Clearly no organization understands or delivers India’s gargantuan power needs better than NTPC! The Maharatna company seems set to electrify many million more Indian households over the coming decades while spearheading green transition.
As PM Modi pointed out, the stellar track record and ambition of NTPC should serve as inspiration for India’s aspiring engineers and energy experts to push new frontiers in power generation!
I hope you enjoyed this in-depth analysis on NTPC and the benefits of its new projects powered by our visionary Prime Minister! Do let me know your feedback in the comments.