Barauni power station
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Barauni power station is an operating power station of at least 500-megawatts (MW) in Barauni, Begusarai, Bihar, India with multiple units, some of which are not currently operating. It is also known as Barauni Thermal Power Station.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
---|---|---|
Barauni power station | Barauni, Begusarai, Bihar, India | 25.391376, 86.023488 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 6, Unit 7, Unit 8, Unit 9: 25.391376, 86.023488
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year | Retired year |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unit 6 | retired[1] | coal: bituminous | 110 | subcritical | 1983 | 2024[1] |
Unit 7 | retired[1] | coal: bituminous | 110 | subcritical | 1985 | 2024[1] |
Unit 8 | operating | coal: bituminous | 250 | subcritical | 2018 | – |
Unit 9 | operating | coal: bituminous | 250 | subcritical | 2021 | – |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
Unit name | Owner | Parent |
---|---|---|
Unit 6 | Bihar State Power Holding Co Ltd [100%] | Bihar State Power Holding Co Ltd [100.0%] |
Unit 7 | Bihar State Power Holding Co Ltd [100%] | Bihar State Power Holding Co Ltd [100.0%] |
Unit 8 | Bihar State Power Holding Co Ltd [100%] | Bihar State Power Holding Co Ltd [100.0%] |
Unit 9 | Bihar State Power Holding Co Ltd [100%] | Bihar State Power Holding Co Ltd [100.0%] |
Project-level coal details
- Coal source(s): Hazaribagh district, Jharkhand
Background
Three 15MW units at the plant, which were commissioned in the early to mid-1960's have been decommissioned. BSPHCL stated that Unit No. 4 & 5, both of which are Polish made 50MW units, were shut down in 1995.[2] BSPHCL stated that it proposed recommissioning the units but the Central Electricity Authority "declared revival/R&M of these units not Techno-economically viable."[3]
Units 6 and 7 are 110 MW each. They were built in 1983 and 1985, respectively, and were renovated and recommissioned in 2016.[4]
Retirement plans
In Fall 2021, it was reported that NTPC was planning to shutdown aging units at the plant.[5]
In 2017, NTPC chairman Gurdeep Singh and then Union power minister Piyush Goyal said that the company would gradually shut over 11,000 MW of coal-based power plants that were over 25 years old and replace some of these plants with efficient super critical plants, with less green house gas emissions. However, by December 2021, NTPC had rolled back its decision "given that higher power demand can only be met through such power." The decision was also reportedly influenced by the power crisis in China. An official stated: “We have not taken a final decision on Barauni power plant as of now, but that is also likely to be shut soon, given the high heat rate and its viability for the consumer.”[6]
The 110 MW units were expected to be available in April 2023 to meet demand.[7]
2024: Units 6 & 7 retired
On March 31, 2024, NTPC permanently shut down operations at Units 6 and 7, retiring a total of 220 MW of capacity at the Barauni power station.[8]
Units
The power station consists of the following units:[9]
Unit | Installed Capacity (MW) | Date of Commissioning | Status |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 15 | 1966 | Retired |
2 | 15 | 1963 | Retired |
3 | 15 | 1963 | Retired |
4 | 50 | 1969 | Retired |
5 | 50 | 1971 | Retired |
6 | 110 | 1983 | Retired |
7 | 110 | 1985 | Retired |
8 | 250 | 2018 | Operating |
9 | 250 | ~2018 or 2021 | Operating |
Expansion plans
BSPHCL has proposed a 500 megawatt (MW) coal-fired expansion to the plant, comprising two 250MW units referred to as Barauni 8 & 9. It is proposed that the new units at the existing power station be commissioned by June 2014, with the second 250MW unit commissioned four months later. BSPHCL states that it seeking to source an additional 2.65 million tonnes a year from a Ministry of Coal allocation over either the Rajmahal coal field or Urma Pahari Tola. BSPHCL states on its website that a "firm coal linkage still awaited."
The utility also states that 60 cusecs of water have been approved for the existing plant and the expansion by the Government of Bihar. However, the Central Water Commission (CWC) have only approved 45 Cusecs from the Ganga river.[10]
In 2014 it was reported that during India Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Japan, an agreement was reached between the two countries to launch a feasibility study by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the setting up of a 250 MW supercritical thermal power plant (STPP) in Barauni. It was reported that the land, water, and coal (1.5 million tonnes per annum) requirements for the new plant were already met, and JICA had applied for environmental clearance in November 2013.[11]
Environmental clearance for two 250 MW units was granted in May 2014,[12] and the units were listed as under construction in 2015.[13]
The new units were proposed for commissioning in 2016,[14] later pushed to 2017.[15][16]
Unit 8 was synchronized on November 14, 2017, and was planned for commissioning in 2018. Unit 9 was also planned for 2018.[17]
Unit 8 was commissioned in January 2018 and unit 9 was reportedly commissioned in March 2018.[18] The 2018 commissioning dates were also listed in a March 2021 list of power stations.[19]
However, in June 2021, new headlines indicated that Unit 9 completed its 72-hour full load trial run operations in compliance with Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) norms that month, increasing the plant's installed capacity in commercial operation from 470 MW to 720 MW.[20]
Coal supply
In March 2015 the new units were allocated a coal supply from Hazaribagh district, Jharkhand. Prior to this, the new units had been allocated the coal block at Urma Pahari, but that allocation was later annulled by the Supreme Court.[21]
In December 2018 it was reported that the project had coal linkage with the Badam coal block in Bihar, which would also be owned by NTPC.[22]
Financing
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) was mentioned as a potential lender to the 660 MW expansion project in 2014.[23] However as of 2019, it appeared that JICA did not proceed with the plan to finance this project. Financing of Unit 8 with 660MW was said to be suspended.[24]
Ownership
The state government may make the Barauni Thermal Power Station (BTPS) a joint venture plant of the NTPC and BSPHCL.[14]
In May 2018, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Government of Bihar and NTPC for NTPC to assume full ownership of the Barauni Thermal Power Station, the Muzaffarpur power station, and the Nabinagar Super Thermal Power Project. The MoU is to improve the performance of Bihar's power sector.[25] NTPC assumed full ownership of the Barauni plant in December 2018.[22]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/ntpc-permanently-closed-220-mw-barauni-stage-i-project/articleshow/108916373.cms.
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(help) - ↑ Barauni Thermal Power Station, BSPHCL, Web archived: September 26, 2022
- ↑ Bihar State Electricity Board, "Power Generation Status", Bihar State Electricity Board website, accessed December 2011.
- ↑ "BHEL successfully renovates and modernizes 110 MW thermal set at Barauni," BHEL, Mar 14, 2016
- ↑ "NTPC to shut down Kanti and Barauni thermal power stations in Bihar," Construction World, October 5, 2021
- ↑ "NTPC abandons plan to shut down 25-year-old coal-fired plants," Financial Express, December 16, 2021
- ↑ "Government Outlines Strategy to Meet Upcoming Peak Power Demand," Mercom India, March 9, 2023
- ↑ NTPC permanently closed 220 MW Barauni Stage-I project, Times of India, March 31, 2024
- ↑ "Barauni Coal Power Station India," GEO, accessed May 2016
- ↑ Bihar State Electricity Board, "New Projects", Bihar State Electricity Board, accessed November 2011.
- ↑ Pranav Chaudhary, "Japan agency to study scope for supercritical thermal power plant at Barauni," TNN, Sep 3, 2014.
- ↑ "Environmental clearance," India MoEF, May 8, 2014
- ↑ "Broad Status Report," India Central Electrical Authority, May 29, 2015
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Pranav Chaudhary, "Barauni power plant may become a JV," Times of India, Dec 23, 2014
- ↑ "Monthly Report on Broad Status of Thermal Power Projects in the Country," Government of India Ministry of Power, March 2016
- ↑ "Monthly Report on Broad Status of Thermal Power Projects in the Country," Government of India Ministry of Power, July 2016
- ↑ "Monthly Report on Broad Status of Thermal Power Projects in the Country," Government of India Ministry of Power, November 2017
- ↑ "Installed capacity," India CEA, 31.03.2018
- ↑ "List of Thermal Power Stations," CEA, March 31, 2021
- ↑ "NTPC Barauni unit 9 all set to generate 250 MW more power," Times of India, June 20, 2021
- ↑ "Sushil Modi hails coal block allocation to Barauni plant," Times of India, Mar 26, 2015
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 "NTPC acquires 720 Mw Barauni thermal power plant in Bihar," ETEnergyWorld, December 16, 2018
- ↑ "Study on Barauni Thermal Power Station (660MW x 1) in Bihar" (PDF). openjicareport.jica.go.jp. January 2014.
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at position 31 (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "List-of-Coal-Power-Investments-by-JBIC-NEXI-JICA_0718.pdf" (PDF). sekitan.jp. 2019. Retrieved September 2024.
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(help)CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "NTPC set to take over one stressed, two under-construction power projects in Bihar," Hindu Business Line, May 15, 2018
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.