Hirakud Smelter power station
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Hirakud Smelter power station is an operating power station of at least 367-megawatts (MW) in Hindalco Hirakud smelter, Hirakud, Sambalpur, Odisha, India.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Hirakud Smelter power station | Hindalco Hirakud smelter, Hirakud, Sambalpur, Odisha, India | 21.529687, 83.904569 (exact) |
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3, Unit 4: 21.529687, 83.904569
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | Operating | coal: unknown | 67.5 | subcritical | 1994 |
| Unit 2 | Operating | coal: unknown | 100 | subcritical | 2005 |
| Unit 3 | Operating | coal: unknown | 100 | subcritical | 2006 |
| Unit 4 | Operating | coal: unknown | 100 | subcritical | 2008 |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | Hindalco Industries Ltd [100%] | Hindalco Industries Ltd [100.0%] |
| Unit 2 | Hindalco Industries Ltd [100%] | Hindalco Industries Ltd [100.0%] |
| Unit 3 | Hindalco Industries Ltd [100%] | Hindalco Industries Ltd [100.0%] |
| Unit 4 | Hindalco Industries Ltd [100%] | Hindalco Industries Ltd [100.0%] |
Project-level captive use details
- Captive industry use (heat or power): power
- Captive industry: Other Metals & Mining
Project-level coal details
- Coal source(s): Talabira captive coal mines
Background
The Hirakud Smelter power station is a captive power plant that supplies power to the aluminium operations of Hindalco Industries Ltd. Originally commissioned in 1994, the plant's capacity was gradually increased over the following decades until 2008, when it had a total of 368 MW of capacity. Currently, the plant supplies power to an aluminium rolling mill, which draws approximately 85% of its energy needs from the captive power plant (and the remaining 15% from the grid). The aluminium facility was approved in 2009 and began construction in 2010; commercial operation began in 2013.[1]
Coal for the plant is sourced from Talabira captive coal mines.[2] According to the media outlet Business Standard, the plant produces approximately 3,000 tonnes of ash every day.[3]
In 2012, the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OPSCB) mandated the power plant to shut down after a spill from its ash pond caused the ash to overflow in surrounding villages and damage agricultural land for nearby areas.[3] It appears to have been restarted relatively shortly after.
Parent company political donations
In March 2024, data released by the Election Commission of India revealed that the Aditya Birla Group, which includes Hindalco Industries, was the largest donor to the governing political party in Odisha, where the company's coal, aluminum, and iron ore projects are located. Between April 2019 and February 2024, the Aditya Birla Group gave 1.74 billion rupees (US$20.9 million) in electoral bonds to the Biju Janata Dal (BJD). In late February 2024, India's Supreme Court ruled that electoral bonds were unconstitutional, as they had allowed political parties to receive campaign contributions from donors without public disclosure.[4]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ "Hirakud - Our major manufacturing locations - Operations". Hindalco. Retrieved 2021-07-12.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Hirakud Captive Power Plant - Wikipedia". en.wikipedia.org. Retrieved 2021-07-12.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Pollution board orders closure of Hindalco power unit". Business Standard. 2012-08-12. Retrieved 2021-07-12.
- ↑ "Aditya Birla Group, Rashmi, and Jindal Steel Power Top Poll Bond Donors of Biju Janta Dal," The Wire, March 22, 2024
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.
