Raghunathpur Thermal Power Station

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Raghunathpur Thermal Power Station is an operating power station of at least 1200-megawatts (MW) in Bhaldubi, Ragunathpur, Purulia, West Bengal, India with multiple units, some of which are not currently operating.

Location

Table 1: Project-level location details

Plant name	Location	Coordinates (WGS 84)
Raghunathpur Thermal Power Station	Bhaldubi, Ragunathpur, Purulia, West Bengal, India	23.62191, 86.660703 (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: 23.62191, 86.660703

Project Details

Table 2: Unit-level details

Unit name	Status	Fuel(s)	Capacity (MW)	Technology	Start year	Retired year
Unit 1	operating	coal - unknown	600	supercritical	2014	–
Unit 2	operating	coal - unknown	600	supercritical	2016	–
Unit 3	pre-permit	coal - unknown	660	supercritical	–	–
Unit 4	pre-permit	coal - unknown	660	supercritical	–	–

Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details

Unit name	Owner
Unit 1	Damodar Valley Corp [100.0%]
Unit 2	Damodar Valley Corp [100.0%]
Unit 3	Damodar Valley Corp [100.0%]
Unit 4	Damodar Valley Corp [100.0%]

Project-level coal details

• Permit(s): October 18, 2007 – Environmental Clearance, May 23, 2012 – Environmental Clearance; Form 1: 2023-01-01; Terms of Reference: 2023-03

Background

Phase I, Units 1-2

The power station was proposed by Damodar Valley Corporation as two 600 MW units slated to be commissioned in 2013.

In March 2014, it was reported that "the first phase was supposed to become operational in November 2010." However, because of major issues such as non-availability of land, water and rail connectivity, the project was delayed.

Unit 1 was commissioned in August 2014. Unit 2 was commissioned in January 2016. However, the two units did not enter commercial operation until March 2016.

Financing for Phase I

In March 2009, a financing agreement for Phase I was closed. US$750.85 million in loans was provided by the State Bank of India, Power Finance Corporation, and West Bengal Infrastructure Development Finance. US$321.76 million in equity was provided by the Government of Jharkhand, Government of India, and West Bengal Government. The State Bank of India acted as the financial advisor to the sponsors.

In June 2010, a refinancing agreement for Phase I was closed. US$31.37 million in loans was provided by the State Bank of India and SBI Capital Markets. It is not clear which part of the original financing the new loan refinanced.

Phase II, Units 3-4

A second phase of 2 x 660 MW was also proposed. In 2015, Phase II was listed in the Broad Status report as under construction and planned for completion in India's 13th plan (2018-2023). In 2017, the company continued to list Phase II on its website among "Projects under construction."

However, in the July 2016 Broad Status Report, Phase II was no longer listed. Photographs of the site showed no construction beyond Units 1 and 2.

As of January 2020, there had been no further developments, and plans for units 3-4 appeared to be deferred or abandoned.

However, in July 2022, Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) unveiled a growth roadmap which involved new coal capacity (brownfield expansions), including 2 x 660 MW at Raghunathpur.

A Ministry of Power Report (2021-2022) stated that approval for the "revival of RTPS Phase-II (2x660 MW) [was] based on emerging demand scenario both in valley area and in the country as a whole. MOP, GOI has also given consent for the project."

On January 11, 2023, the project was submitted to the Expert Appraisal Committee to receive Terms of Reference. In March 2023, the Thermal Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) granted Terms of Reference for the expansion.

In May 2023, tenders were floated for the construction of the Phase II expansion (Raghunathpur Thermal Power Station Phase-ii 2X660).

In the November 2023 Expert Appraisal Committee's meeting minutes, it was noted that the committee deferred the grant of the project's Phase-II Environmental Clearance (EC) on the basis of insufficient information. The agenda for the EAC's January 2024 meeting noted that the project's EC would again be discussed during the January meeting. In the January 2024 meeting, the EAC recommended the proposal's EC grant. The fresh EC was granted by the MoEFCC in a letter dated February 26, 2024.

In January 2024, DVC was floating revised tenders for the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) package for Phase II. Reporting in March 2024 announced that the Prime Minister had laid the foundational stone of the Phase II expansion project. Planet imagery did not show signs of construction or significant ground work having begun as of early April 2024.

Financing for Phase II

In August 2023, it was reported that REC Limited (formerly known as Rural Electrification Corporation Limited) had entered into a pact / loan agreement with Damodar Valley Corporation to provide Rs 4,527.68 crore (ca US$ 544 million) for the 2 x 660 MW Phase II project at Raghunathpur. It appeared that the financial close has taken place.

Citizen opposition

It has been reported that the power utility was planning to build a 10-km pipeline from a local dam to the plant for its water needs. "For constructing the pipeline, it had run into land acquisition problems ... the physical construction of the pipeline faced opposition from locals who demanded jobs in addition to the compensation. 'There are about 2, 200 land-losers at the moment and their number is going to increase as land is acquired for ensuring water connectivity and rail connectivity,' said J.K. Singh, Chief Engineer of the project, adding that it was not possible to provide jobs to every land-loser."

DVC looks to sell plant

According to a May 2017 newspaper article, DVC is saddled with a surplus capacity of 1,900 MW, causing a loss of Rs 1,000 crore in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2017. In order to reduce its finance costs, the company is planning to divest the Raghunathpur plant to Neyveli Lignite Corporation, a deal that has been approved by the Centre and the Jharkhand government and now awaits the clearance of the Bengal government.

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.