Neyveli Thermal Power Station II

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Neyveli Thermal Power Station II is an operating power station of at least 1970-megawatts (MW) in Neyveli, Kurinjipadi, Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu, India with multiple units, some of which are not currently operating. It is also known as Neyveli-2 power station.

Location

Table 1: Project-level location details

Plant name	Location	Coordinates (WGS 84)
Neyveli Thermal Power Station II	Neyveli, Kurinjipadi, Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu, India	11.5575892, 79.4415697 (exact)

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

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Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):

• Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3, Unit 4, Unit 5, Unit 6, Unit 7: 11.5575892, 79.4415697
• Unit 10, Unit 11, Unit 8, Unit 9: 11.553404, 79.440762

Project Details

Table 2: Unit-level details

Unit name	Status	Fuel(s)	Capacity (MW)	Technology	Start year
Unit 1	operating	coal: lignite	210	subcritical	1986
Unit 10	permitted	coal: lignite	660	supercritical	–
Unit 11	permitted	coal: lignite	660	supercritical	–
Unit 2	operating	coal: lignite	210	subcritical	1987
Unit 3	operating	coal: lignite	210	subcritical	1986
Unit 4	operating	coal: lignite	210	subcritical	1991
Unit 5	operating	coal: lignite	210	subcritical	1991
Unit 6	operating	coal: lignite	210	subcritical	1992
Unit 7	operating	coal: lignite	210	subcritical	1993
Unit 8	operating	coal: lignite	250	CFB	2011
Unit 9	operating	coal: lignite	250	CFB	2015

Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details

Unit name	Owner	Parent
Unit 1	NLC India Ltd [100%]	NLC India Ltd [100.0%]
Unit 10	NLC India Ltd [100%]	NLC India Ltd [100.0%]
Unit 11	NLC India Ltd [100%]	NLC India Ltd [100.0%]
Unit 2	NLC India Ltd [100%]	NLC India Ltd [100.0%]
Unit 3	NLC India Ltd [100%]	NLC India Ltd [100.0%]
Unit 4	NLC India Ltd [100%]	NLC India Ltd [100.0%]
Unit 5	NLC India Ltd [100%]	NLC India Ltd [100.0%]
Unit 6	NLC India Ltd [100%]	NLC India Ltd [100.0%]
Unit 7	NLC India Ltd [100%]	NLC India Ltd [100.0%]
Unit 8	NLC India Ltd [100%]	NLC India Ltd [100.0%]
Unit 9	NLC India Ltd [100%]	NLC India Ltd [100.0%]

Project-level coal details

• Permit(s): Environmental Clearance; Terms of Reference: 2017-03-23; Environmental Impact Assessment

Background on existing power station

The original power station comprises 7 units of 210MW each. It was commissioned in two stages of 630MW and 840MW. The first 210MW unit was commissioned in March 1986 and the last unit in June 1993. Lignite for the power project is being supplied from the Neyveli lignite mine, which is owned and operated by NLC.

In October 2011, NLC commissioned a 250 MW unit (Unit 8) at the same site. As of 2011 a second 250 MW unit (Unit 9) was under construction, projected to become operable in 2013. Unit 9 was commissioned on January 24, 2015.

Proposed Phase II Expansion (Units 10 and 11)

In November 2016 NLC India applied for a terms of reference to set up two additional supercritical units at the power station of 660 MW each, near Mudhanai village. Coal would be provided by a new mine, known as Mine III. In March 2017 the company received a terms of reference for the expansion. The EIA was submitted in June 2018. Environmental clearance was granted on October 29, 2018.

There were no obvious developments near the existing site between Jan. 2017 and Jan. 2022 based on Planet satellite imagery. (The second expansion was expected West of the operating units.)

In July 2022, it was reported that the NLC board had given its go-ahead to the investment proposal to set up "TPS II 2nd Expansion Thermal Power Station (2 X 660 MW) at Neyveli, Tamil Nadu at an estimated cost of Rs 11,189.20 crore".

A late 2022 Lok Sabha answer and NLC's website confirmed the project's revival. The website summarized: "It is proposed to increase the power generating capacity by adding another 1320 MW thermal power plant as the second expansion to the existing TPS-II at Neyveli. A new mine, Mine-III of capacity of 11.5 MTPA is proposed to be set up to exploit the mineable lignite reserves of about 415 MT available in the south of the existing Mine-II to meet the fuel requirement of the proposed thermal power plant. Tendering under progress to award the work on EPC basis."

In May 2023, NLC's website had not updated the status of the expansion project, but an April 2023 news article reported that NLC had "floated tenders for single package procurement and construction (EPC) for the second expansion of Neyveli Thermal Power Station II project" .

A September 2023 company report stated that the bidding process for construction of the two units would open on October 4, 2023. By April 2024, news of the EPC bidding and award were not available, and construction did not appear to have begun. According to NLC's website, updated as of June 25, 2024, the tender for Phase II's EPC contract was still "yet to be opened."

In a June 2024 interview, NLC chairman and managing director Prasanna Kumar Motupalli reported that in preparation for the Phase II expansion, land had been acquired, statutory clearances were in place, and a power purchase agreement (PPA) had been finalized for the expansion's entire capacity.

Reported pollution

In August 2023, an analysis of environmental impacts from several coal plants and mines in Tamil Nadu found widespread air, soil, and water pollution. New Neyveli Thermal Power Station, Neyveli Thermal Power Station I, Neyveli Thermal Power Station II, and Cuddalore IL&FS power station were included in the study, which was conducted by Poovulagin Nanbargal (Friends of the Earth Tamil Nadu) and the research NGO Manthan Adhyayan Kendra. The study found high concentrations of mercury, selenium, and fluoride in several drinking water sources near NLC mines and power stations. Water samples near the IL&FS plant in Parangipettai contained fluoride, iron, calcium, magnesium, and silicon above legal limits. The report recommended stricter regulation of the mines and power plants and measures to cut effluent discharges and the dumping of coal ash in local waterbodies.

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.