Bhubaneswar, March 3: The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) is planning to invest Rs 24,000 crore to boost its power generation capacity in Odisha. With this investment, the public sector company will be able to generate another 4000MW of power. At present, the NTPC thermal plants at Kaniha and Talcher stands at 3460MW.

Regional executive director (East-II) Jaydev Nanda today said work on setting up the super-thermal critical power plant at Darlipalli in Sundergarh district and Gajamara in Dhenkanal district was going on in full swing.

The Darlipalli and Gajamara projects will generate 1600MW each. The Darlipalli project, being set up for an investment of Rs 12,850 crore, will draw water from Hirakud reservoir. “The land acquisition process is going on for the project that will come up on 1,652 acres,” said Nanda, adding that the Gajamara project will come up on 1,039 acres with an investment of Rs 12,636 crore.

The NTPC is also planning to expand the Talcher Thermal Power Plant. In its third phase, the thermal plant will generate an additional 1320MW power through two units. The project will be included in the first year of the 13th Plan. The company is planning to lay a pipeline to carry the huge amount of fly ash generated from coal from the power station at Kaniha to Jagannath Prasad mining area, about 25km from the plant site.

Nanda said the fly ash would be used to fill up mining pits. “Once the mines are filled up, efforts will be made to create new forests,” he said.

Last year, the Odisha State Pollution Control Board had slapped a closure notice on the NTPC for its failure to manage fly ash in four units at its Kaniha super thermal plant.

In order to resolve the crisis, NTPC chairman Arup Ray Choudhury, on July 8, had met chief minister Naveen Patnaik and assured him that all steps would be taken to repair the breach in its ash pond.

“We are complying with the orders of the State Pollution Control Board and the pollution level has been controlled,” said Nanda.