NTPC Ltd.

NTPC Ltd, the country's largest power company with an installed generation capacity of 36,000 MW, continues to expand. It is planning to take up another mega project in South along with the 4,000-MW Kudgi project in Karnataka, during the XII Plan itself instead of the XIII Plan.

With an operating capacity of 4,450 MW in the Southern region, it is executing expansion projects at Simhadri near Visakhapatnam, Ramagundam in Andhra Pradesh, Kudgi in Karnataka, Kayamkulam in Kerala, and is planning another mega project, a 4,000 MW plant at Pudimadaka close to Visakhapatnam.

Coal supplies continue to be a major cause of concern for thermal power stations. As opposed to earlier approach of fuel supply agreements, which incentivised supplies, and levied penalties for short supply, the MoU route only provides up to 50-60 per cent coal requirement. For NTPC plants, which work at high plant load factor going past 90 per cent, this is an issue. One of things we do is blend the domestic coal with imported coal. But this is limited to about 10 per cent or the cost of power generation goes up. Our own coal mines at Jharkhand will begin production during next plan, augmenting supplies.Even gas supplies are causing hardship for expansion in Kerala.