GACL-NALCO Dahej Caustic captive power station

Part of the Global Coal Plant Tracker, a Global Energy Monitor project.

Download full dataset

Report an error

Related coal trackers:

Global Coal Mine Tracker Global Coal Terminals Tracker Global Coal Project Finance Tracker

GACL-NALCO Dahej Caustic captive power station is an operating power station of at least 130-megawatts (MW) in Vagra, Dahej, Gujarat, India.

Location

Table 1: Project-level location details

Plant name	Location	Coordinates (WGS 84)
GACL-NALCO Dahej Caustic captive power station	Vagra, Dahej, Gujarat, India	21.710191, 72.690406 (exact)

The map below shows the exact location of the power station.

Loading map...

{"type":"HYBRID","minzoom":false,"maxzoom":false,"types":["ROADMAP","SATELLITE","HYBRID","TERRAIN"],"mappingservice":"googlemaps3","width":"600px","height":"500px","centre":false,"title":"","label":"","icon":"","lines":[],"polygons":[],"circles":[],"rectangles":[],"copycoords":false,"static":false,"visitedicon":"","wmsoverlay":false,"zoom":16,"layers":[],"controls":["pan","zoom","type","scale","streetview","rotate"],"zoomstyle":"DEFAULT","typestyle":"DEFAULT","autoinfowindows":false,"resizable":false,"kmlrezoom":false,"poi":true,"cluster":false,"clustergridsize":60,"clustermaxzoom":20,"clusterzoomonclick":true,"clusteraveragecenter":true,"clusterminsize":2,"imageoverlays":[],"kml":[],"gkml":[],"searchmarkers":"","fullscreen":false,"scrollwheelzoom":false,"locations":[{"text":"","title":"","link":"","lat":21.710191,"lon":72.690406,"icon":""}]}

Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):

• Unit 1, Unit 2: 21.710191, 72.690406

Project Details

Table 2: Unit-level details

Unit name	Status	Fuel(s)	Capacity (MW)	Technology	Start year
Unit 1	operating	coal: unknown	65	CFB	2022
Unit 2	operating	coal: unknown	65	CFB	2023

Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details

Unit name	Owner	Parent
Unit 1	GACL-NALCO Alkalies and Chemicals Pvt Ltd [100%]	Gujarat Alkalies & Chemicals Ltd [60.0%]; National Aluminium Co Ltd [40.0%]
Unit 2	GACL-NALCO Alkalies and Chemicals Pvt Ltd [100%]	Gujarat Alkalies & Chemicals Ltd [60.0%]; National Aluminium Co Ltd [40.0%]

Background

In December 2015, National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) (a Government of India Enterprise - Navratna Company) and Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Ltd. (GACL) jointly formed GACL-NALCO Alkalies & Chemicals Pvt. Ltd. (GNAL) to set up a caustic soda plant and 130 MW coal plant in Dahej, Gujarat.

The green field project was proposed to meet the power and steam requirements of the plant at "Plot No. D-II/9" in Dahej. The captive power plant was expected to use the latest Circulating Fluidised Bed Combustion (CFBC) technology with "design flexibility for using 100% indigenous coal to 100% imported coal including blending with lignite."

A June 2020 document "bifurcated" permitting document referenced the following capacities: 195 MW "as per EC," 1 x 65 MW for "GACL," and 2 x 65 MW for "GNAL."

In April 2022, GNAL reportedly completed the partial start-up of the caustic soda plant and cogeneration captive power plant.

GACL's annual report released in August 2022 noted that GNAL successfully commissioned Unit 1 of the 2 x 65 MW plant in May 2022. The full power station was expected to be fully operational by the third quarter of Financial Year 2022-23. The power station at the presumed location appeared complete. Unit 2 appeared to be commissioned in 2023.

Financing

As per company's website, the project (encompassing both the caustic soda plant and the power plant) had estimated cost of around Rs. 2000 crores, which included a foreign component of approximately Rs. 300 crores. The project was planned to be financed with a debt equity ratio of 70:30. The promoters (GACL and NALCO) were expected to contribute equity of Rs.600 crores at 60:40 ratio from their internal accruals. Balance Rs.1400 crores would be sourced from various lenders. GNAL appointed M/s IDBI Capital Market Services Ltd. as financial advisor.

The company's annual report for the year ended March'23 stated that the financial close was completed in that financial year. During the year, CARE Ratings affirmed the “Care A Stable” rating for Rs. 1810 Crore long-term facility comprising of rupee term loan from Punjab National Bank (Rs. 880 Crore) and external commercial borrowings facility of USD 100 Million (not exceeding Rs. 730 Crore) from the State Bank of India and Rs 200 in short-term borrowings. However, as the financing is jointly for the project including the caustic plant, separate financing for the power plant could not be identified.

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.