Bhavanapadu Thermal Power Project

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Bhavanapadu Thermal Power Project is a proposed 1320 to 2640-megawatt (MW) proposed coal plant in Andhra Pradesh, India.

See also Bhavanapadu Thermal Power Project/Videos

Location

The satellite photo below shows the project. Planet satellite imagery from March 2018 confirms that the site remains inactive.

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Background

Bhavanapadu Thermal Power Project consists of two phases, each 1320 MW. The project is sponsored by East Coast Energy .

The project has been the target of multiple protests, resulting in two killings and halting of construction by the India government in 2011. The power station was listed as deferred in 2012.

According to project developer Athena Energy, "stage-I of the plant is expected to be commissioned in December 2015 and stage-II is expected to be commissioned in 12 months thereafter."

According to a 2014 article, the India Cabinet Committee on Investment is considering financing a "1,320 MW Bhavanapadu Thermal Power Project", but did not mention the additional 1320 MW, suggesting it may have been shelved.

According to the India Ministry of Power in November 2016, units 1-2 are planned for operation in mid- to late 2017. Delays are attributed to "Law & Order problem, Financial problem of the company, acquisition of balance land for sea water intake & railway siding."

According to the India Ministry of Power in March 2017, units 1-2 are now planned for 2018, with work still held up primarily due to financial issues.

According to the India Ministry of Power in March 2019, construction on units 1-2 is on hold indefinitely: "Presently work held up at site due to financial issues." Reasons for delay are listed as "Law & Order problem, Financial problem of the company, acquisition of balance land for sea water intake & railway siding".

Work stalled, resumed, stalled again

Although the company continued to show photographs of construction activity on its website, examination of satellite photos on Google Earth dated 12/31/11 and 2/16/14 showed clearly that the construction site was abandoned after early state preparation. Archived photos from Google Earth dated 1/20/15 and 3/16/16 now show resumed progress on the site. But as of November 2016, the Ministry of Power reported that construction was on hold.

East Coast still seeking land

In June 2015 East Coast Energy informed the India MoEF that the company was still seeking additional land for the project.

Project Details

Sponsor: East Coast Energy
Location: Kakarapalli village, Santhabommali mandal, Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh
Coordinates: 18.5213851, 84.2393124 (exact)
Status: Phase I: Construction on hold; Phase II: Cancelled
Nameplate capacity: Phase I: 2 units of 660 MW each; Phase II: 2 units of 660 MW each. Total: 2640 MW
Type: Supercritical
Projected in service:
Coal Type:
Coal Source: 70 % Indian, 30% imported
Estimated annual CO₂: 15,612,170 tons added
Source of financing:
Permits and applications: Environmental clearance, India MoEF, Apr 9, 2009

Cronyism Charges

"Jairam issues notice to Srikakulam power plant"

According to The Times of India, the chairman of East Coast Energy is T Sankarlingnam, former chairman of National Thermal Power Corporation. One of the directors of East Coast Energy, P Balraj, previously served as chairman of the union environment ministry's expert appraisal committee for thermal and coal power projects at the time that Bhavanapadu Thermal Power Project received its clearances.

One blogger wrote that the project was a product of "crony capitalism":

The 2640 MW Bhavanapadu coal-based thermal power plant near Kakarlapalli is being developed by East Coast Energy Private Limited (ECEPL). If you look out for the promoters of this company in their website, you would find that Athena Energy Ventures Pvt Ltd (AEVPL), AIP Power Pvt Ltd (AIP) and PTC India Financial Services Ltd are among them. All these 3 promote another company Athena Demwe Power Limited for a hydro-electric project in Arunchal Pradesh. If you look at the board of directors of this company, you find a certain Mr. A. Balraj. Mr Balraj is a retired IAS officer and more interestingly, the chairman of the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC), the same which recommended the environmental clearance for the Kakarapalli!

The following details of this Environmental clearance are available on the website of Ministry of Environment & Forests.

• Project No: J- 13011/36/ 2008-IA II(T)
• Project Name: 2640 MW Bhavanapadu TPP near Kakrapalli Village
• District:Sri Kakulam
• Village:no
• Company:M/s East Coast Energy Pvt. Ltd.
• Application for EC received: 18/03/2008
• EC Approved: 09/04/2009

February 2011: Two killed, 25 injured in clashes

On February 28, 2011, in a set of clashes sparked by construction of Bhavanapadu Thermal Power Project, police in Srikakulam fired into villagers, killing two people and injuring nearly 25 others. During the previous July, two people were killed in violence related to a separate proposed coal plant in the same district. The dead were identified as Sirapu Yerraiah (36) of Sirapuvani Peta and J. Nageswara Rao (35) of Akashalakkavaram. At least two of the injured were hit at close range with rubber bullets. Police used guns, teargas, and lathis against villagers, who used stones and sticks. After police threw smoke bombs in Vadditandra village, 50 houses were gutted. A police jeep was burned by villagers.

April 2011: Villagers at Kakrapalli mark 238 days of relay hunger strike

Naupada Bioreserve vs Thermal Power

According to a report by the environmental television feature program Save India's Coast, villagers at Kakrapalli were continuing a relay hunger strike in order to raise pressure on governmental officials to finally cancel the Bhavanapadu Thermal Power Project. The broadcast showed footage of houses damaged by smoke bombs during the police attack on town of Kakrapalli.

For a comprehensive set of links to TV news bulletins on the police crackdown in Srikakulam and the political debate over the project see Bhavanapadu Thermal Power Project/Videos.

Articles and resources

Related SourceWatch articles

• Bhavanapadu Thermal Power Project/Videos
• East Coast Energy
• India and coal
• Proposed coal plants in India

External articles

• "How Crony Capitalism Lead to the Kakarapalli tragedy," The Argumentatitve Indian, March 1, 2011

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title=\"Category:Proposed coal plants in Haryana\"\u003Ehere\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E for more information.\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"Proposed coal plants in Haryana\n","link":"","lat":30.73,"lon":76.78,"icon":""},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProposed coal plants in Jharkhand\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E\u003C/b\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003EClick \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/index.php?title=Category:Proposed_coal_plants_in_Jharkhand\" title=\"Category:Proposed coal plants in Jharkhand\"\u003Ehere\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E for more information.\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"Proposed coal plants in Jharkhand\n","link":"","lat":23.35,"lon":85.33,"icon":""},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProposed coal plants in Karnataka\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E\u003C/b\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003EClick 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title=\"Category:Proposed coal plants in Uttar Pradesh\"\u003Ehere\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E for more information.\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"Proposed coal plants in Uttar Pradesh\n","link":"","lat":26.85,"lon":80.91,"icon":""},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProposed coal plants in West Bengal\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E\u003C/b\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003EClick \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/index.php?title=Category:Proposed_coal_plants_in_West_Bengal\" title=\"Category:Proposed coal plants in West Bengal\"\u003Ehere\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E for more information.\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"Proposed coal plants in West Bengal\n","link":"","lat":22.57,"lon":88.27,"icon":""}]}