Talcher Thermal Power Station nears closure, CM urges Centre to speed up expansion

BHUBANESWAR: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik has urged the Centre to direct the

National Thermal Power Corporation

(NTPC) to address concerns related to closure of

Talcher Thermal Power Station

(TTPS) and take steps for early execution of stage-III

expansion

of the project.

In a letter to Union power minister R K Singh, Naveen wrote, “Closure of TTPS w.e.f. March 31 will have severe direct and indirect impact on thousands of families and the local economy. The TTPS stage-III project has already got the approval of the

state government

in February, 2020. However, NTPC is yet to start the execution.”

The

chief minister

said TTPS is one of the oldest thermal power stations in the country. The stage-I of the plant (240 MW) was commissioned by the government in 1968, while stage-II (220 MW) was commissioned in 1982. Later, NTPC acquired TTPS in 1995. Odisha have been purchasing all 460 MW of power generated by TTPS since 1995.

The NTPC authorities have decided to close TTPS as its lifespan expires on March 31 as per the norms of the

Central Pollution Control Board

. Six units of TTPS (2x110 MW and 4x60 MW), which were commissioned in 1968 and 1982, have been closed on Tuesday, a week before the planned closure.

NTPC sources said the authorities have already served notices to around 2,000 contractual employees engaged in the plant. The locals have launched an agitation against the plant’s closure.

“The 53-year plant is in a dilapidated condition and needs to be closed from safety point of view. Action will be taken as per law regarding issues related to contractual employees,” said an NTPC official. As for the fate of stage-III expansion of the project, the official said the matter is being dealt with at the highest level.

The NTPC had proposed to expand the capacity of the plant in 2010 by installing two units of 660 MW each. Odisha’s power utility Gridco Ltd, had also signed power

purchase agreement

(PPA) with NTPC in December 2010. The high-level clearance authority (HLCA) of the state government led by the chief minister had cleared the TTPS’s expansion project at an investment of Rs 7,698 crore. The NTPC has decided to set up the two new units within the existing premises at

Talcher

in Angul district. No progress has been made in taking up the expansion work even after a year after getting approval.