Talcher – best performer among NTPC plants in India

By Bijay RoutTalcher, Mar 1: With coal supply situation remaining normal, the power generation at NTPC-Kaniha plant here got a boost this year when it stood as the second best performer in terms of plant load factor (PLF) among the 24 NTPC plants in India.Incidentally, Talcher Thermal Power station here, another unit of NTPC, emerged first in NTPC in terms of plant load factor.Speaking at a media conference at Kaniha plant, a beaming Group General Manager of NTPC-Kaniha plant N.K.Kothari said the 3000 MW power plant till date this year generated 21314 million units compared to 19430 million units by the corresponding period last year.In terms of plant load factor (PLF) it is now 89.28 per cent compared to 81.20 per cent in last year, a hike of about eight per cent, according to Kothari who is optimistic of achieving 90 per cent PLF by the end of the current fiscal.Contrary to past when the NTPC plant suffered due to short supply of coal, this year the coal supply remained normal in terms of both quantity and quality.“This year we have a comfortable stock of 25 lakh tonne of coal in our stockyard to meet about 25 days demand.Both the feeding Lingaraj and Kaniha plant supplied normally,” he added.On the possible expansion of the power plant, second largest in India, the group general manager said: “The ash dyke constraint is only the problem for us to expand the plant here when we do have all other requirements like land, water supply and assured coal supply.“We applied for void coalmine at Talcher and as soon as it is available to us we may go for expansion.”Giving details of the various developmental activities in the peripheral areas, Kothari said the plant is spending Rs.10.5 crore for constructing toilets in Kaniha, Chhendipada and Kishorenagar blocks in Angul district as part of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.