Lara Integrated Thermal Power Project

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Lara Integrated Thermal Power Project is an operating power station of at least 1600-megawatts (MW) in Mahloi, Pussore, Raigarh, Chhattisgarh, India with multiple units, some of which are not currently operating. It is also known as NTPC Lara, Lara STPP.

Location

Table 1: Project-level location details

Plant name Location Coordinates (WGS 84)
Lara Integrated Thermal Power Project Mahloi, Pussore, Raigarh, Chhattisgarh, India 21.757661, 83.457545 (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, Unit 3, Unit 4, Unit 5: 21.757661, 83.457545

Project Details

Table 2: Unit-level details

Unit name Status Fuel(s) Capacity (MW) Technology Start year Retired year
Unit 1 operating coal - unknown 800 supercritical 2018
Unit 2 operating coal - unknown 800 supercritical 2020
Unit 3 permitted coal - unknown 800 supercritical 2028[1]
Unit 4 permitted coal - unknown 800 supercritical 2028[1]
Unit 5 cancelled coal - unknown 800 supercritical

Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details

Unit name Owner
Unit 1 NTPC Ltd [100.0%]
Unit 2 NTPC Ltd [100.0%]
Unit 3 NTPC Ltd [100.0%]
Unit 4 NTPC Ltd [100.0%]
Unit 5 NTPC Ltd [100.0%]

Project-level coal details

  • Coal source(s): Talaipalli coal block
  • Permit(s): July 17, 2023 – Environmental Clearance; Terms of Reference: 2018-10-24; Terms of Reference Amendment: 2022-08-29, December 13, 2012 – Environmental Clearance

Background

The combined output was originally planned to be 4,000 MW. The plant is sponsored by NTPC.[2]

In September 2011, BGR Energy Systems announced that it has won the contract from NTPC to supply the supercritical steam turbine generator units for the Lara Super Thermal Prower Project (2 x 800 MW), the Darlipali Super Thermal Power Project Stage I (2 x 800 MW), the Gajmara Super Thermal Power Project Stage I (2 x 800 MW) and the Kudgi Super Thermal Power Project Stage I (3 x 800 MW).[3]

Units 1 and 2 have a planned commissioning of 2017.[4] As of 2014 the power station is under construction. Local residents say the project's EIA was flawed and the mandatory public hearing was never properly conducted.[5]

Unit 1 was synchronized in September 2017,[6] and was commissioned in March 2018.[7]

Unit 2 was planned for 2019,[8] and commissioned in July 2020.[9]

Stage II (Units 3 & 4)

As of August 2014, NTPC's list of future capacity additions through 2032 included an additional 2,400 MW for the Lara project, for 4,000 MW total.[10]

There was no developments on the proposed expansion until April 2018, when NTPC said it planned to begin the tendering process for two 800 MW units at the Lara power plant, units 3-4.[11] Plans for the fifth 800 MW unit appears to have been dropped.

On October 24, 2018, the terms of reference for the two new units was granted, after the application was submitted on July 20, 2018.[12]

Vimta Labs publicized the Executive Summary for a Draft Environmental Impact Assessment in September 2019.[13]

As of January 2022, there had been no further developments and Stage II appeared shelved.

However, in April 2022, NTPC was seeking ToR amendment. The main change to the proposed configuration involved shifting from 2 x 800 MW with an Air Cooled Condenser System to 2 x 660 MW with a Water Cooled Condenser System.[14]

Thermal Expert Appraisal Committee notes from May 2022 detailed that "The Project Authorities informed during the meeting that they want to submit the revised proposal with certain modifications. The PP therefore requested for deferment of the proposal. The EAC accepted the request made by the PP and deferred the proposal."[15]

Thermal Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) notes from July 2022 detailed that "In view of the implementation issues faced in ACC Systems at its ongoing power projects, M/s NTPC submitted the fresh proposal for amendment in Terms of Reference for setting up 2x800 MW Power Plant with Water Cooled Condenser (WCC) instead of earlier proposed based on Air Cooled Condenser (ACC) System. Accordingly, Draft Comprehensive EIA report was prepared for 2X800 MW Power Plant with ACC System based on data generated during October-2018 to September-2019. However, the Public Hearing could not be conducted."[16]

The EAC granted updated Terms of Reference for the expansion on August 29, 2022.[17]

The contract for the proposed expansion was expected to be awarded by March 2023.[18]

As of April 2023, the contract for the proposed expansion appeared to not yet have been awarded, but it was reported that the contract would be awarded in the current fiscal year. An official said NTPC expected to place orders "during the current fiscal year" for construction of the 1.6 GW Singrauli Super Thermal Power Station, the 1.6 GW Lara Integrated Thermal Power Project, and the 1.32 GW Meja Thermal Power Project.[19][20][21]

The project was granted Environmental Clearance by the Expert Appraisal Committee in May 2023.[22][23] The EC letter was dated July 17, 2023.[24]

Reports in August 2023 announced that Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) had secured the NTPC order for the Phase-II project's Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) package.[25] At the time, it was reported that the first unit of the expansion was planned for commission within 48 months (before August 2027) and the second unit within 52 months (December 2027).[26] News articles noted that the EPC package included building a steam generator "capable of biomass co-firing," though it was unclear whether there were real intentions for the future units to burn biomass along with coal.[27]

As of October 2023, construction did not appear to have begun yet, and Planet imagery did not show significant change at the site from October 2022 to October 2023. In the Expert Appraisal Committee's October/November 2023 meeting minutes, it was reported that NTPC sought new Environmental Clearance (EC) for the expansion due to its belief that not all components of the existing EC were relevant to the project. According to the meeting minutes, NTPC claimed that "a detailed examination of EC conditions reveal[ed] that some of the conditions [we]re not applicable to the project Lara STPP Stage-II, hence need deletion while some other conditions need review and amendment."[28] During the meeting, the Expert Appraisal Committee decided that the standard EC conditions should indeed apply to the expansion, and returned the proposal in its present form.

The Broad Status report from November 2023 did not yet show construction start. Expected commissioning has been pushed back to 2028 for both Units.[29]

Citizen opposition

It was reported in September 2013 that "People of at least 50 villages in 12 gram panchayats of Jharsuguda's Lakhanpur block have opposed the 4,000 MW NTPC power project at Lora in Chhattisgarh ... 'We have decided to organize a road blockade on September 19 on the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border,' said sarpanch of Attabira Sanjib Pradhan." Sarpanch noted that forests in and around the region will be affected by the project.[30]

Coal supply

In 2021, during a national coal shortage, the Ministry said state-owned NLC India began to supply excess coal from its Talabira-II and -III captive coal blocks in Odisha to NTPC’s Darlipali and Lara power plants.[31]

Articles and Resources

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20240218232421/https://cea.nic.in/wp-content/uploads/thermal_broad/2023/11/BS_Nov_2023_V1.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 February 2024. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. "NTPC to invest Rs 787 Crores towards environmental protection measures in Lara-Raigarh Project" IndiaCSR, December 21, 2011.
  3. "BGR bas Rs.3,600 cr NTPC contract," The Hindu, September 17, 2011
  4. "NTPC Investor presentation," August 1, 2013.
  5. "NTPC Lara plant to devastate 6 GPs in Odisha: WIO," Odisha Sun Times Bureau, Sep 29, 2014
  6. "Monthly Report on Broad Status of Thermal Power Projects in the Country," Government of India Ministry of Power, November 2017
  7. "Installed capacity," India CEA, 31.03.2018
  8. "Monthly Report on Broad Status of Thermal Power Projects in the Country," Government of India Ministry of Power, Feb 2018
  9. "NTPC's 1,600 MW Lara Power Project in Chhattisgarh fully operational," Business Standard, Jul. 21, 2020
  10. "Future Capacity Additions," NTPC website, accessed August 2014
  11. "NTPC to float tenders to meet FY19 capacity addition target," Financial Express, Apr 20, 2018
  12. "Terms of Reference," India MoEF, October 24, 2018
  13. "Draft EIA ES," Vimta Labs, September 2019
  14. "Application for Amendment in TOR," NTPC Limited, April 19, 2022
  15. "24th Thermal EAC Meeting Minutes," MOEF, held May 9, 2022
  16. "28th Meeting of the Re-constituted Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of Thermal Power Projects," MoEF, held on July 27, 2022
  17. "Terms of Reference," MoEF, August 29, 2022
  18. "NTPC finalises contracts for 4 thermal power projects," Construction World, November 3, 2022
  19. "India power giant NTPC to add more coal plants to meet soaring demand," Economic Times, April 14, 2023
  20. "NTPC eyes 10GW coal-based brownfield expansion," Financial Express, April 17, 2023
  21. "NTPC Plans To Expand Its 10GW Brownfield Coal Plant," The Industry Outlook, April 17, 2023
  22. "2x800 MW (Expansion, Stage-II) Coal Based Lara Super Thermal Power Project," PARIVESH, Proposal No. IA/CG/THE/428410/2023, submitted May 7, 2023
  23. “Minutes of the 41st Meeting of the Re-Constituted Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of Thermal Power Projects,” MoEF, May 12, 2023
  24. "Expansion of Coal Based Lara Super Thermal Power Project," Parivesh, July 17, 2023
  25. BHEL surges on securing order from NTPC to set up thermal power project, AngelOne,Aug. 31, 2023
  26. BHEL Wins Major Order From NTPC For Lara STPP, T&D India, Aug. 31, 2023
  27. BHEL Wins NTPC Order for Chhattisgarh Power Project, Construction World, Sept. 1, 2023
  28. Minutes of 02ND Meeting of the Re-Constituted Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) meeting - Thermal Projects held from 31/10/2023 to 01/11/2023, MoEFCC, November 15, 2023
  29. "Broad Status Report of Under Construction Thermal Power Projects" (PDF). Central Electricity Authority. November 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  30. "Villagers oppose NTPC plant" Times of India, September 14, 2013.
  31. "Fuel supply from captive mines: 2 NTPC plants get excess coal of Talabira II-III," Indian Express, October 16, 2021

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.