Explainer: New 800 MW Ultra Super Critical unit to help increase production of power in state
The installation of a new 800 MW Ultra Super Critical Unit at Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram Thermal Power Plant (DCRTPP), situated at Pansara village in Yamunanagar district, will help in increasing the production of electricity in the state. The unit will be an expansion of the existing coal-based 2X300 MW DCRTPP.
The foundation stone of the new unit will be laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a programme to be held in Yamunanagar on April 14.
Thirty-two years ago, former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao had laid the foundation stone of the thermal power plant through remote control from Faridabad in March 1993 and the first unit of 300 MW of this plant was commissioned in April 2008 and the second unit of 300 MW in June 2008.
Raman Sobti, Chief Engineer of DCRTPP, said it would be a new generation project and it would fulfil the commitment of Haryana Power Generation Corporation Limited (HPGCL) of maximising generation and minimising the cost of power.
What is an Ultra Super Critical Unit?
An Ultra-Super Critical Unit of a thermal power plant operates at higher pressures and temperatures than traditional supercritical plants, exceeding the critical point of water to achieve greater efficiency and reduce emissions. The technology is considered an environmentally friendly solution for power generation.
Which company has been allotted the work?
HPGCL has issued an order to Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract of the 800 MW unit at a cost of Rs 7,272.06 crore. The project is likely to be completed within 48-57 months from the date of award.
Will it increase Haryana’s energy generation capacity?
At present, the electricity generating capacity of HPGCL power plants is 2,582 MW per day. But after the installation of the new 800 MW Ultra Super Critical Unit in Yamunanagar, the energy generation capacity of HPGCL’s power plants will increase to 3,382 MW.
How many acres was acquired by the government?
The government had acquired 1,107 acres in 15 villages Rattanpura, Kaimpura, Isharpur, Darwa, Lapra, Mehmudpur, Mandoli, Dussani, Pansara, Mandi, Fatehpur, Kalanaur, Rampur Majra, Behrampur and Nayagaon for this power plant years ago.
Will the power plant be environment friendly?
As per the authorities of the HPGCL, the DCRTPP, Yamunanagar, has been designed for ‘zero effluent discharge’; therefore it has very little environmental impact on the adjoining and nearby villages. Efforts are being made to minimise the impact of fly ash on the environment, promoting the use of dry fly ash. Cement and brick manufacturers are being encouraged to lift the dry ash. The new unit will be armed with flue-gas desulfurisation, a set of technologies used to remove sulfur dioxide from exhaust flue gasses of fossil-fuel power plants and from the emissions of other sulfur oxide emitting processes such as waste incineration, petroleum refineries, cement and lime kilns.
What impact will it have on villages falling in the vicinity?
Fly ash of the thermal power plant creates a number of problems for residents of villages, falling in the vicinity of DCRTPP. They have demanded that the government must solve the problem of fly ash as it affected their health and crops. They also demanded that the government should provide job opportunities to local youth in the thermal power plant and use more and more funds under corporate social responsibility and other schemes to undertake development works in these villages.
