Bhadreshwar power station (OPG)
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Bhadreshwar power station (OPG) is an operating power station of at least 300-megawatts (MW) in Bhadreshwar, Mundra, Kutch, Gujarat, India. It is also known as Kutch OPG power station, Bhadreshwar Vidyut.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Bhadreshwar power station (OPG) | Bhadreshwar, Mundra, Kutch, Gujarat, India | 22.896182, 69.896263 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 1, Unit 2: 22.896182, 69.896263
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | operating | coal: lignite | 150 | subcritical | 2015 |
| Unit 2 | operating | coal: lignite | 150 | subcritical | 2015 |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | OPG Power Ventures PLC [100%] | OPG Power Ventures PLC [100.0%] |
| Unit 2 | OPG Power Ventures PLC [100%] | OPG Power Ventures PLC [100.0%] |
Background
On February 8, 2012, the National Green Tribunal, a body created in 2010 to handle cases relating to environmental protection, directed that no construction activity should take place with respect to the plant until all approvals are obtained by OPG Power Ventures, the sponsor of the project. Construction had begun at the site without the necessary approvals under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, and CRZ clearance. The construction had been challenged at the National Green Tribunal by fisherfolk, salpan workers, and local villagers.[1]
The NGT said, in what seemed like a misguided effort to make the project look clean, the company's environmental impact assessment (EIA) report actually recorded pollution indicators well below possible levels, essentially fabricating their data.[2]
The halting of the project was an unusual event. According to Prayas Energy Group, "It is extremely rare for a thermal power plant (TPP) to have its environmental clearance rejected. In fact, not a single thermal power plant has been denied clearance by the MoEF from 2006 to July 2010...."[3]
Financing
In 2015, it was reported that OPG Power Ventures Plc had received about Rs12-13 billion (approximately US$200 million) in bank loans for the project and was committing Rs4.64 billion (approximately US$74 million) in equity to the project.[4]
Fishermen protest
According to a March 2014 article in the Indian Express, fishermen in Bhadreshwar confronted AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal to express their opposition to the OPG plant. The fishermen submitted a memorandum to Kejiriwal urging him to stop the power plant construction due to threats it posed to their fishing water.[5]
Construction resumes
As of July 2014, the company was reporting that construction was nearing completion at the site and heading toward commissioning in the last quarter of 2014:[6]
- The milestone activity of hydraulic testing for both units has previously been completed. Here, the assembly and installation of both turbines and the generator and instrumentation is significantly advanced too. The state-owned electricity transmission company is preparing its high voltage transmission infrastructure including transmission lines for evacuation of power from the plant, an activity that the Company is undertaking, in part, on behalf of the state. Both projects remain on track for commissioning to commence in the last quarter of calendar year 2014.
Operation
The power plant was commissioned in February 2015.[7]
National Green Tribunal order
The order of the National Green Tribunal can be found here.
Press coverage
The order to stop construction of the plant attracted nationwide media attention, including the following stories:
- "Green Tribunal flags rad for OPG's power plant," Indian Express, February 15, 2012
- Piyali Mandal, "Green setback for OPG Power plant," Business Standard, February 15, 2012
- "Green tribunal stops Gujarat power project," Hindustan Times, February 14, 2012
- Gujarat News story, February 14, 2012 (in Gujarati)
- Kutch Mitra Daily story, (in Gujarati)
- "Stop OPG's power plant work at Mudra untill it gets environmental clearance: National Green Tribunal," The Economic Times, February 15, 2012
- "Stop OPG's power plant work at Mudra, Gujarat: Green Tribunal," Deccan Chronicle, February 16, 2012
Activist Groups
- Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan (MASS), Kutch, Gujarat: http://masskutch.blogspot.com
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ "National Green Tribunal directs that no construction begin till all approvals are obtained by OPG," Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan (MASS) blog, February 15, 2012
- ↑ "Environment reports have ‘cooked data,' says tribunal," The Hindu, Feb. 12, 2012.
- ↑ "Thermal Power Plants on the Anvil," Prayas Energy Group, August 2011, p. 2
- ↑ Bureau, Our. "OPGS Power set to commission 300-Mw power plant in Kutch". @businessline. Retrieved 2020-09-25.
- ↑ Gopal B Kateshiya, "Arvind Kejriwal finds ‘bakwas’ in Gujarat, faces protests himself," Indian Express, March 7, 2014
- ↑ "OPG Project Update," OPG website, July 1, 2014
- ↑ "OPG Power to commission 300 MW power plant on Saturday," live mint, Feb 26, 2015
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.
