Ranchi, July 29: National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) aims to start power production from its ambitious North Karanpura Super Thermal Power Project based in Chatra from 2017-18, its CMD Arup Roy Choudhary said in the capital today.
If things go according to plan, the power plant will start operating almost 20 years from the time it was first proposed in 1999, a classic case of better late than never.
Situated in Tandwa block of the rebel-hit district, NTPC has engaged BHEL (Bharat Heavy Electricals) to commission work for the 1,980 (660x3) MW super thermal power plant, a Rs 14,000 crore project.
"We aim to start production (of power) from North Karanpura from 2017-18. Work is going on in the project," Choudhury told The Telegraph on the sidelines of the MoU signing ceremony for performance improvement and capacity expansion of Patratu thermal power station at Project Building this evening.
NTPC has been allocated four coal mines in Hazaribagh and Chatra. They include Pakri-Barwadih, Chhatti-Bariatu, Kerendari (or Keredari) and Chhatti-Bariatu (south).
In Hazaribagh, NTPC officials said work on three mining projects, except Chhatti-Bariatu (South), were on.
The mines would be captive sources of coal for NTPC for its North Karanpura, Barh and Navinangar projects.
Currently, a massive colony is being constructed at Dhenga village in Barkagaon block of Hazaribagh. Two thousand dwelling units are being built for those displaced by the Pakri-Barwadih mine.
The North Karanpura project, 70km from Chatra district headquarters and over 150km from Ranchi, was originally proposed in 1999. It got delayed because Coal India Limited objected to the location of the plant, citing huge coal reserves of 6 billion tonnes below the proposed site, and wanted NTPC to shift.
In 2008, Coal India Limited withdrew coal linkage to the plant. In February 2013, the Government of India decided against relocation. That July, coal linkage for the plant was restored. Finally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the online foundation stone in August 2014.
