Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram Thermal Power Plant

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Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram Thermal Power Plant is an operating power station of at least 600-megawatts (MW) in Rattanpura, Yamunanagar, Haryana, India with multiple units, some of which are not currently operating. It is also known as Yamunanagar power station; DCRTPP.

Location

Table 1: Project-level location details

Plant name	Location	Coordinates (WGS 84)
Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram Thermal Power Plant	Rattanpura, Yamunanagar, Yamunanagar, Haryana, India	30.1075175, 77.3267646 (exact)

The map below shows the exact location of the power station.

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Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):

• Unit 1, Unit 2: 30.1075175, 77.3267646
• Unit 3: 30.10541, 77.32697

Project Details

Table 2: Unit-level details

Unit name	Status	Fuel(s)	Capacity (MW)	Technology	Start year	Retired year
Unit 1	operating	coal - unknown	300	subcritical	2008	–
Unit 2	operating	coal - unknown	300	subcritical	2008	–
Unit 3	pre-permit	coal - unknown	800	supercritical	2027	–

Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details

Unit name	Owner
Unit 1	Haryana Power Generation Co Ltd (HPGCL) [100.0%]
Unit 2	Haryana Power Generation Co Ltd (HPGCL) [100.0%]
Unit 3	Haryana Power Generation Co Ltd (HPGCL) [100.0%]

Project-level coal details

• Permit(s): Terms of Reference: 2023-03-24; Terms of Reference Amendment: 2023-09

Background

The Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram power project was commissioned in the first half of 2008. The power plant is one of the coal based power plants of Haryana Power Generation Company (HPGCL). It was jointly constructed by Reliance Energy Limited and Shanghai Electric (China) in a collaboration.

Expansion

In 2010, MOEF granted Terms of Reference for a 660 MW expansion.

The HPGCL website also confirmed that the company was planning for the existing plant to be increased to 1,260 MW.

As of 2016, the project was listed at 800 MW and was scheduled for the 13th Plan (2017-2022). It was awaiting approval by the state government.

The project did not appear to have been permitted and appeared to be cancelled.

However, in January 2023, it was reported that the Haryana government launched a tender for the EPC contract for the 800 MW expansion unit.

The project was expected to cost around Rs 5,352 crore. The debt-equity ratio was expected to be 70:30 and facilitated by the Haryana government. P K Das of Haryana Power Utilities said that the national capital region of Haryana was witnessing vigorous manufacturing activity and expecting power demand increases. Das further mentioned that they were exploring ways to acquire a joint venture with a coal firm intended to set up a 2,500-3,000 MW pithead power plant in Odisha.

Bids were expected to be submitted by the end of June 2023. A tender document provided the following project status:

• "The land for main plant area has been acquired and is under possession of HPGCL."
• "The land for rail infrastructure inside the plant boundary and raw water pipeline from existing Reservoir is under possession."
• "Land for ash disposal pipe routing up to the existing ash pond is under possession."
• "The process of obtaining Environment Clearance from Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Govt. of India. has been initiated under the guidance of M/s Mecon, Ranchi (a Govt. of India Enterprise)"
• "The NOC for Chimney height shall be obtained from Airport Authority of India."
• "Water drawl from Western Yamuna Canal for the project has been tied up with Irrigation Department, Govt. of Haryana."

Terms of Reference (ToR) for conducting an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study were submitted in February and granted in March 2023. The minutes of the Thermal Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) from February 2023 noted several additional amendments to the ToR.

In a June 2023 meeting, the Expert Appraisal Committee agreed to amendments of the project's ToR as proposed by Haryana Power Generation Corporation Limited (HPGCL). The project's amended Terms of Reference were granted in September 2023.

By September 2023, HPGCL had posted updated E-Tender details for the project, which stated that the bid submission deadline date was to be October 18, 2023. In October 2023, the Union power ministry had reportedly given the Haryana government the "go-ahead" to develop the 800 MW expansion unit. At the time of reporting, the new unit was expected to begin commercial operation within 48 months, or by October 2027.

Reporting in February 2024 announced that the EPC tender for Unit 3 had been awarded to Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL). At the time, construction was expected to be completed within 57 months (by 2029).

History

Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram Thermal Power Plant Project.

The project was first conceived in 1981-82 but it remained in suspended animation for more than two decades. The previous governments tried to implement the project, first through the private sector, then through the National Thermal Power Corporation, and thereafter attempts were also made to get it executed through foreign investments. But the project remained only on paper because governments were not serious about setting up this project. Former Indian prime minister, PV Narasimha Rao even laid the foundation stone of this project through remote control from Faridabad in March 1993. At that time, the project was planned to be executed by NTPC, but that too could not go beyond construction of a few residential and non-residential buildings. In year 2004 then chief minister of Haryana Om Prakash Chautala again laid the stone of this thermal plant but again the project remained on papers only. But in year 2005 the new chief minister of Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda gave nod to the project and the plant was finally developed in 2005-2008.

Environmental impact

A November 2023 report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) argued that the ongoing air pollution crisis in the New Delhi National Capital Region (NCR) had been made worse by the failure of nine out of 11 coal plants in the region to comply with air pollution standards. The Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram Thermal Power Plant reportedly exceeded standards for nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulphur dioxide (SO2) during the 17-month reporting period from April 2022 to August 2023. After repeatedly postponing emissions compliance deadlines, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change set the power station's NOx compliance deadline for 2024 and its SO2 compliance deadline for 2026.

Articles and Resources

Additional data

To access additional data, including an interactive map of coal-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.