Kahalgaon Super Thermal Power Plant
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Kahalgaon Super Thermal Power Plant is an operating power station of at least 2340-megawatts (MW) in Kahalgaon, Bhagalpur, Bihar, India with multiple units, some of which are not currently operating.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Kahalgaon Super Thermal Power Plant | Kahalgaon, Bhagalpur, Bihar, India | 25.236903, 87.265595 (exact) |
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3, Unit 4, Unit 5, Unit 6, Unit 7, Unit 8: 25.236903, 87.265595
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year | Emergency/Backup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | Operating | coal: lignite[1] | 210 | subcritical | 1992 | False |
| Unit 2 | Operating | coal: lignite[1] | 210 | subcritical | 1994 | False |
| Unit 3 | Operating | coal: lignite[1] | 210 | subcritical | 1995 | False |
| Unit 4 | Operating | coal: lignite[1] | 210 | subcritical | 1996 | False |
| Unit 5 | Operating | coal: lignite[1] | 500 | subcritical | 2008 | False |
| Unit 6 | Operating | coal: lignite[1] | 500 | subcritical | 2009 | False |
| Unit 7 | Operating | coal: lignite[1] | 500 | subcritical | 2010 | False |
| Unit 8 | Announced[2] | coal: unknown[2] | 800[2] | ultra-supercritical[2] | – | False |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | NTPC Ltd [100%][3] | NTPC Ltd [100.0%] |
| Unit 2 | NTPC Ltd [100%][3] | NTPC Ltd [100.0%] |
| Unit 3 | NTPC Ltd [100%][3] | NTPC Ltd [100.0%] |
| Unit 4 | NTPC Ltd [100%][3] | NTPC Ltd [100.0%] |
| Unit 5 | NTPC Ltd [100%][3] | NTPC Ltd [100.0%] |
| Unit 6 | NTPC Ltd [100%][3] | NTPC Ltd [100.0%] |
| Unit 7 | NTPC Ltd [100%][3] | NTPC Ltd [100.0%] |
| Unit 8 | NTPC Ltd [100%][3] | NTPC Ltd [100.0%] |
Project-level coal details
- Coal source(s): unknown, domestic
Ownership Tree
This ownership tree is part of the Global Energy Ownership Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.
Background
The power station is owned by Bihar State Electricity Board and National Thermal Power Corporation.[4][5]
In the Central Electricity Authority's November 2023 Installed Capacity report, the following note was included regarding the Kahalgaon power station:[6]
"Bihar has surrendered its 292.99 MW (Firm share) from Kahalgaon-I station of NTPC but it has not been allocated to any.[sic]"
Expansion proposals
2007
The Bihar State Electricity Board reported that an expansion of 500 MW was approved by the SIPB in its meeting on March 26, 2007. 600 acres of land were identified at Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur district, and an application was submitted to the Ministry of Coal for a coal block allocation. The report stated, "Progress has not been reported by firm."[7]
2026
According to reporting from June 2026, NTPC was planning to develop an 800 MW ultra-supercritical unit (Phase III) at Kahalgaon. A site survey for the proposed unit had already been completed.[8][9]
Coal supply problems
A March 2012 article in the Indian Express described coal shortages at the Kahalgaon plant and others across India:[10]
- Two projects that were perennially short on coal through whole of last year were NTPC Ltd’s 2,340 MW Kahalgaon station in Bihar and the 2,100 MW Farakka station in West Bengal. The irony is that while Kahalgaon is located right on the pithead (at the coal mine itself, so that there is no need to transfer the coal to the plant), Farakka is not too far. And both are among stations that form the backbone of the eastern region’s generation sector. While the Farakka station has infrastructure in place to operate at over 90 per cent plant load factor, the utility is mostly operating at only 70 per cent because of the short supply of coal. The shortfall in domestic supplies is being made up by imports, which, in turn, jacks up tariffs. The problem here is that most coal reserves in the east are located in Maoist-infested areas. A senior government official says that the entire coal mining value chain in the eastern region is ridden with trade unionism and gangs who pilfer coal, especially from easy targets that include public sector firms or smaller private power producers. The head of a mid-sized state-owned generation firm has repeatedly been complaining about local Coal India employees colluding with middlemen to siphon off his fuel. “The coal mafia is strong and there is absolutely no guarantee that coal will reach the designated consumer, despite assurances from Kolkata (where Coal India is headquartered) or New Delhi,” the official says. With the coal crisis showing little sign of a resolution, despite the Prime Minister’s intervention, utilities across the country have been instructed to make design changes in all future coal-fired projects to enable higher imported coal blending. However, running power plants on imported coal involves an entirely different challenge."
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 (PDF) https://sansad.in/getFile/loksabhaquestions/annex/178/AU1297.pdf?source=pqals.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "New 800 MW Thermal Power Unit Proposed At Barauni; Ultra-Supercritical Technology To Cut Coal Use". Patna Press. 2026-06-28. Archived from the original on 2026-07-02. Retrieved 2026-07-02.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 https://ntpc.co.in/kahalgaon.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ "Government of India Ministry of Power Monthly Report," December 2011.
- ↑ Kahalgaon STPS Coal Station India, Global Energy Observatory, accessed March 2012
- ↑ All India Installed Capacity (in MW) of Power Stations, Central Electricity Authority, Government of India, November 30, 2023
- ↑ "New projects," Bihar State Electricity Board, accessed February 2012
- ↑ “New 800 MW Thermal Power Unit Proposed At Barauni; Ultra-Supercritical Technology To Cut Coal Use,” Patna Press, June 28, 2026
- ↑ “NTPC plans 800 MW expansion at Kahalgaon thermal plant in Bihar,” United News of India, June 2, 2026
- ↑ RAJIB CHATTERJEE , Anil Sasi, "From Jhajjar to Farakka, new to old, fuel shortage hits 130 power units," Indian Express, March 14, 2012
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.
