Katwa Super Thermal Power Project (NTPC)
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Katwa Super Thermal Power Project (NTPC) is a shelved power station in Katwa, Bardhaman, West Bengal, India.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Katwa Super Thermal Power Project (NTPC) | Katwa, Bardhaman, West Bengal, India | 23.65, 88.13 (approximate) |
The map below shows the approximate location of the power station.
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | shelved | coal: unknown | 660 | supercritical |
| Unit 2 | shelved | coal: unknown | 660 | supercritical |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | NTPC Ltd [100%] | NTPC Ltd [100.0%] |
| Unit 2 | NTPC Ltd [100%] | NTPC Ltd [100.0%] |
Background
The project supercritical project was initially proposed by the West Bengal Power Development Corporation but opposition from landowners left the agency with only 556 acres of the 1030 acres of land need for the plant.[1] Potential locations for the project were Churpuni, Srikhanda, Debkundu, Katwa, Kasigram, Khaner hat, Nanagar, Baghtona, Jajigram, Bandra, Begunkota and Sankhai villages in the Burdwan district, West Bengal. The project was projected to begin service in 2019 or later.[2] The project was to receive excess coal from West Bengal Power Development Corporation until the allotted Deocha Achine block in Birbhum starts production.[3]
In 2008 the project was handed over to NTPC. While NTPC signed a memorandum of understanding for power purchase with the West Bengal government in 2010 it has not yet taken control of the land bought under the previous government. The current government has stated that land purchases are a matter for the companies proposing power stations not the government. In February 2012 NTPC stated that they were still hopeful that they could buy the remainder of the land needed for the project.[4]
Citizen opposition
The project, which has encountered opposition from landowners, is currently stalled due to difficulties in buying land for the plant.[4] It was reported in May 2009 that, "Local people first became aware of land acquisition in Katwa through an advertisement ... [in] 2005. The advertisement stated that 1,625 acres of land would be acquired from 16 mouzas in Katwa. This led to the formation of the Krishijami Krishak O Khet Majoor Bachao Committee (KKKMB, or Save Agricultural Land Cultivators and Agricultural Workers Committee) where not just people who would lose land but also landless labourers and sharecroppers joined forces.[5]
Project Resumes But Still Faces Barriers
In February 2014, after three years on hold due to land acquisition problems, the board of NTPC approved the project after the West Bengal government allocated 96 acres for the proposed plant and local residents agreed to add 150 acre to the land pool.[3]
However, government officials in West Bengal identified three remaining obstacles: (1) loopholes in the government’s proposal to allocate a coal block for the project; (2) environmental inadequacy of the 706 acres allocated to the plant, such as lack of sufficient storage space for coal ash; and (3) an unpaid debt by NTPC to the state power utility of Rs 182 crore. One official said the plant would now be completed no sooner than 2019, and most likely later.[2]
NTPC received a terms of reference for the project in December 2014.[6]
Public hearings were held in June 2015.[7]
In April 2017, the West Bengal government accused NTPC of putting the Katwa project on hold, demanding an explanation for the transfer of key officials to other projects. A spokesperson for NTPC said, "These are routine transfers," asserting that the project was delayed for want of coal linkages. The official added that the project will "move at its own pace." According to the report, coal for the plant will come from the Docha-Pachami coal block, which was allocated to multiple states and had an estimated reserve of two billion tonnes. However, extracting coal from the tract would not be easy due to local geology and settlements. According to an unnamed former NTPC official, West Bengal has enough power for now and political relations between Delhi and West Bengal have soured, putting a damper on investments in the state.[8]
In July 2018, it was reported that NTPC may not go ahead with the construction of the upcoming 1,980-MW Nabinagar Super Thermal Power Project and 1,600-MW Katwa Super Thermal Power Project (NTPC) in Bihar and West Bengal, respectively, until it received “re-confirmation” from the beneficiary states that they still require power from these projects. Power purchase agreements (PPAs) were signed with West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Sikkim and Jharkhand in 2010. The development came after Odisha’s energy minister Susanta Singh recently requested Union power minister RK Singh to cancel PPAs between the state and NTPC for the two power plants, along with the 1,320-MW Pirpainti Thermal Power Station, on the back of surplus generation capacity in the state.[9]
However, in December 2018, NTPC submitted an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the project.[10]
In February 2019, the company was asked to start the EIA process de novo.[11] The project was "delisted" from PARIVESH.
New permitting process
NTCP applied for new Terms of Reference for 2 x 660 MW in December 2021.[12][13] The project was considered by the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) in January 2022.
However, the EAC then reported the following: "Project Proponent vide its email dated 7th January, 2022 and during the meeting informed to the EAC that project is being reconsidered for implementation and accordingly have decided to withdraw the proposal due to Policy issues for Thermal Power sector. The EAC therefore decided to return the proposal."[14]
Previous permits included the following: Environmental Clearance, India MoEF, May 1, 2008; Terms of Reference, India MoEF, May 13, 2011; Terms of reference, India MoEF, Dec 12, 2014
2023: No apparent progress
In March 2023, a news article reported that NTPC officials held a meeting with local administrators, in which the company explored the option of "returning" the land for use in other industries.[15] As of September 2024, there had been no further news of the project's development. The project was presumed shelved and likely cancelled.
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ Terms of Reference, Ministry of Environment and Forests, received 13 May 2011
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 MEGHDEEP BHATTACHARYYA, "Doubts on NTPC plant: Govt officials point to three hurdles in Katwa," The Telegraph, 4 February 2014
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Debjoy Sengupta, "NTPC gives nod to Katwa power plant in West Bengal," The Economic Times, 17 February 2014
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Shine Jacob, "NTPC makes last-ditch effort to revive Katwa project: direct acquisition of land from farmers runs into problems due to involvement of middlemen and high prices being quoted", Business Standard, February 19, 2012.
- ↑ "Katwa thermal power plant: Down but not out" Panchali Ray, Infochange Environment, May 2009.
- ↑ Terms of reference, India MoEF, Dec 12, 2014
- ↑ Proceedings of the public hearing for the proposed 2x660 mw coal plant at Katwa, India MoEF, Jun 30, 2015
- ↑ Arkamoy Dutta Majumdar, "NTPC puts Katwa power project on hold," LiveMint, 12 April 2017
- ↑ "NTPC may abandon two units if states renege on PPAs," Financial Express, July 31, 2018
- ↑ EIA, NTPC, December 2018
- ↑ "2x660 MW Coal Based Katwa STPP," MoEF, February 2, 2019
- ↑ "Application for Terms of Reference," NTPC, December 28, 2021
- ↑ "Appendix I," MoEF, accessed January 2022
- ↑ "Minutes of the 19th Meeting of the Re-Constituted Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of Thermal Power Projects Held on 11th January, 2022," Expert Appraisal Committee, January 11, 2022
- ↑ NTPC Land: Project or Alternative? Elusive solution, NTPC land at the center of the political agenda when the polls come, Hindustan Times, March 29, 2023
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.
