Chitrangi Power Project

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Chitrangi Power Project is a proposed 3,960 megawatt (MW) coal-fired power station in Madhya Pradesh, India.

Location

The map below shows Chitrangi tehsil, Singrauli district, the location where the plant would be built.

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Background

The project is proposed by Chitrangi Power Private, which was previously known as Madhya Pradesh Power Generation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Power.

Reliance Power states that coal for the project would "be sourced from captive coal mines allocated to the company as well as from linkages which the Government may allocate for the project. The approval for using captive coal from the Sasan Coal mines located adjacent to the project has already been given by the Government of India."[1]

The company states that the project would comprise 6 x 660MW super-critical units and is scheduled to be completed "towards the end of the year 2013". The estimated project cost is US$ 4billion. The company states that "the financial closure process for the project has already begun and it is expected that the project would be financed at a debt-equity ratio of 75:25."[1]

As of 2014 the Chitrangi Power website states the project had received environmental clearance, but does not list a construction or commissioning date.[2]

In April 2015 Reliance requested an extension of the project's environmental clearance, originally granted in May 2010. Reliance said all required land, water, and coal supply had been secured and initial "construction-enabling activities" had begun.[3][4] However the plant's coal supply - excess coal from mines for Reliance's nearby Sasan Ultra Mega Power Project - was de-allocated in May 2015.[5]

In February 2016 it was reported the Expert Appraisal Committee of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change did not recommend extension of environment clearance for the project.[6]

Coal

Originally, Reliance Power said it planned to obtain coal for the project from surplus coal mined at three captive coal blocks that had been allocated to the Sasan Ultra Mega Power Project, located about 250 km away: Moher, Moher Almori extension, and Chhatrasal blocks. These blocks were expected to produce up to 25-26 million tonnes overall, with 10 million tonnes available for Chitrangi.[7]

However, in late 2011 the power ministry recommended cancellation of permission to Reliance Power to use the coal from the Sasan mines, expressing concern about the views of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG). According to an December 2011 article in the Economic Times, the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) has sought the attorney general's views on the matter.[8]

In May 2015 the coal ministry de-allocated Chhatrasal coal mine, and said excess coal from the Moher coal mine and the Moher-Amlori Extension coal mine could not be used to power Chitrangi. The coal ministry said it is planning to ask Reliance Power to submit a revised mining plan for the two Moher coal blocks. The 'extraordinary gazette notification' nullified a February 2010 decision to allow Reliance to use 9 million tonne per annum surplus coal from three blocks — Chhatrasal, Moher and Moher Amlhori — from Sasan UMPP at Chitrangi.[5]

With no environmental clearance nor access to coal, it appears that the project will not move forward.

Project Details

Sponsor: Chitrangi Power Private of Reliance Power
Location: Khokhwa village, Chitrangi tehsil, Singrauli district in Madhya Pradesh
Coordinates: 24.364797, 82.6469 (exact)
Status: Cancelled
Capacity: 3,960 MW (6 x 660 MW)
Type: Supercritical
Projected in service:
Coal Type:
Coal Source:
Estimated annual CO2:
Source of financing:
Permits and applications: Environmental clearance, India MoEF, May 28, 2010

Articles and resources

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Chitrangi Power Project", Reliance Power website, accessed May 2011.
  2. "Chitrangi Power Project", Reliance Power website, accessed September 2014.
  3. "Application for EC extension," Reliance, Apr 22, 2015
  4. "Reliance Power Limited – List of Installed & Planned Power Projects," July 9, 2014
  5. 5.0 5.1 Sarita Singh,"Reliance Power Sasan mine allocation cancelled," Economic Times, May 12, 2015
  6. "24,500 MW of thermal capacity to be added in remaining 2 years of 12th Plan period," The Hindu, Feb 14, 2016
  7. Subhash Narayan, "Reilance Power to start work on Chitrangi project by October," Economic Times, July 7, 2010
  8. Sarita C. Singh, "Reliance Power can't use Sasan Coal for other projects: Power Ministry," Economic Times, December 21, 2011

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External resources

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