Amravati Thermal Power Project
{{#Badges:CoalSwarm|navbar-Indiacoal}} Amravati Thermal Power Project is a 1350-megawatt (MW) coal-fired plant in Maharashtra, India.
An additional phase II and III have been proposed.
Contents
Location
The undated satellite photo below shows the power station, along with the two partially built units on the abandoned Phase II immediately to the east, near the village of Nandgaonpeth in Amravati district, Maharashtra.
Background
Phase I
The proposed project by RattanIndia Power Ltd (formerly Indiabulls Power Ltd) would consist of three stages. Stage I would comprise five 270 MW units. For Stage I, the first unit of 270 MW was completed on March 25, 2013, and the second February 17, 2014.[1][2] The next three units are expected to be operational in FY 2014.[3]
In 2011 the company said that coal linkage had been granted and that "letters of assurance from South Eastern Coalfields Ltd. (SECL), Western Coalfields Ltd. (WCL) and Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd. (MCL) have been issued."[4]
The company stated in 2012 that the project had achieved financial closure, and "construction is in full swing."[5]
Units 3-5 were commissioned by RattanIndia Power Ltd in February and March 2015. The company also laid a new railway track between Walgaon and the power plant for direct coal supply from South Eastern Coalfields Limited, a subsidiary of Coal India.[6]
Coal plant paid millions to sit idle
In May 2017 Climate Home reported that state-owned Mahadiscom, the world’s second largest electricity distribution company, was bearing the fixed cost of the coal plant under its power purchase agreement (PPA) with Rattan India. Under the contract, the distribution company must buy power at a cost of nearly US$600 million over the four years to 2020, yet Mahadiscom forecasts the capacity will be needed only a fraction of that time, and the company plans to completely “back down” the plant from April 2017 to March 2018, documents show. The unit cost works out at US$2.40 a kilowatt hour, almost 40 times the market rate.[7]
Phases II and III
According to the Central Electricity Authority, Phase II consists of five units of 270 MW each, rather than two units of 660 MW each as described by Indiabulls.[1] Phase II received environmental clearance in 2011.[8] It is under construction and planned for commercial operation during India's 13th plan (2018-2023).[9] In November 2015 it was reported that the construction was on hold.[10] As of October 2017 construction was still on hold.[11]
As of November 2017, there had not been significant expenditure on the project since fiscal year 2012-2013. With over four years of inactivity, the project appears to be abandoned.[12]
The company also received a terms of reference for a stage III of a further 1320 MW in 2009,[13] although stage III is not mentioned in 2014 news updates on the project[14][3] and appears to be cancelled.
Ownership
As of July 2014, there are talks of Adani Power acquiring the power project from owner RattanIndia Power Ltd.[14]
Opposition
In 2010 activists affiliated with Upper Wardha Paani Bachao Kruti Samiti (a campaign to save water of the Upper Wardha dam) stalled work on the power station, opposing the diversion of irrigation water from the Upper Wardha to the project.[15]
Project Details
Sponsor: RattanIndia Power Ltd (formerly Indiabulls Power Ltd)
Location: Nandgaonpeth, Amravati district, Maharashtra
Coordinates: 21.0803156, 77.9012418 (exact)
Status:
- Phase I, Unit 1: commissioned March 25, 2013
- Phase I, Unit 2: commissioned February 17, 2014
- Phase I, Units 3-5: commissioned February-March 2015
- Phase II: Cancelled (no activity in 4 years)
- Phase III: Cancelled
Capacity:
- Phase I: 1350 MW (five units, each 270 MW)
- Phase II: 1350 MW (five units, each 270 MW)
- Phase III: 1320 MW (two units, 660 MW)
Type:
- Phase I: subcritical
- Phase II and III: supercritical
Projected in service: 2018-2023 (Phase II)
Coal Type:
Coal Source:
Estimated annual CO2:
Source of financing:
Permits and applications:
- Phase I, Units 1-5: Environmental Clearance, India MoEF, Feb 27, 2009
- Phase II, Units 1-5: Environmental Clearance, India MoEF, May 27, 2011
- Phase III, Units 1 & 2: Terms of Reference, India MoEF, December 2, 2009
Articles and resources
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Monthly Report on Broad Status of Thermal Power Projects in the Country, Central Electricity Authority, February 2014
- ↑ Thermal Power Project: Amravati, Indiabulls website, accessed November 2012
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Rajiv Rattan to invest Rs360 crore in Indiabulls Power," Live Mint, Sep 8, 2014.
- ↑ Indiabulls Power, "Amravati Thermal Power Project", Indiabulls Power website, accessed November 2011.
- ↑ "Robust results for Indiabulls Power in FY 2011-12," Indiabulls press release, April 28, 2012
- ↑ "Amravati plant attains full capacity," Times of India, Mar 30, 2015
- ↑ "The Indian coal plant paid $150m to sit idle," Climate Home, 16/05/2017
- ↑ Environmental Clearance, India MoEF, May 27, 2011
- ↑ "Supply of coal to Power Plants," India Ministry of Power, July 23, 2015
- ↑ "Broad Status Report," India Central Electrical Authority, November 2015
- ↑ "Broad Status Report," India Central Electrical Authority, October 2017
- ↑ "Broad Status Report," India Central Electrical Authority, November 2017
- ↑ Terms of Reference, India MoEF, December 2, 2009.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Piyush Pandey,"Adani eyes Indiabulls' 1,350 MW Amravati Thermal Power Project," TNN, July 30, 2014.
- ↑ "Protesters stall work on thermal project in Amravati," The Hindu, Jan 27, 2010.
