North Chennai Thermal Power Station

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North Chennai Thermal Power Station is an operating power station of at least 1830-megawatts (MW) in Ennore & Puzhudivakkam, Penneri, Thiruvallur, Tamil Nadu, India with multiple units, some of which are not currently operating.

Location

Table 1: Project-level location details

Plant name	Location	Coordinates (WGS 84)
North Chennai Thermal Power Station	Ennore & Puzhudivakkam, Penneri, Thiruvallur, Tamil Nadu, India	13.253013, 80.327804 (exact)

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

Loading map...

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Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):

• Stage I Unit 1, Stage I Unit 2, Stage I Unit 3, Stage II Unit 1, Stage II Unit 2, Stage III: 13.253013, 80.327804

Project Details

Table 2: Unit-level details

Unit name	Status	Fuel(s)	Capacity (MW)	Technology	Start year
Stage I Unit 1	operating	coal: bituminous	210	subcritical	1994
Stage I Unit 2	operating	coal: bituminous	210	subcritical	1995
Stage I Unit 3	operating	coal: bituminous	210	subcritical	1996
Stage II Unit 1	operating	coal: bituminous	600	subcritical	2013
Stage II Unit 2	operating	coal: bituminous	600	subcritical	2013
Stage III	construction	coal: unknown	800	unknown	2024 (planned)

Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details

Unit name	Owner	Parent
Stage I Unit 1	Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Co Ltd [100%]	TNEB Ltd
Stage I Unit 2	Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Co Ltd [100%]	TNEB Ltd
Stage I Unit 3	Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Co Ltd [100%]	TNEB Ltd
Stage II Unit 1	Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Co Ltd [100%]	TNEB Ltd
Stage II Unit 2	Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Co Ltd [100%]	TNEB Ltd
Stage III	Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Co Ltd [100%]	TNEB Ltd

Financing

Source of financing: phase III: US$965 million in debt from Rural Electrification Corporation

Background

Stage I

The power station originally comprised of three 210 megawatt coal-fired units with which were commissioned between 1994 and 1996.

Stage II

Two 600 MW units (Stage II) were added to the power station in 2013.

Stage III

Tamil Nadu Generation & Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) applied for a terms of reference for another 800 MW unit (Stage III) in 2012, with a proposed completion date of December 2017.

As of August 2014, the company reported that "various studies for obtaining EC are underway." An environmental impact assessment (EIA) was submitted in May 2015. and environmental clearance was granted in January 2016.

According to the India CEA (October 2016), initial preparatory work toward construction was underway. However, as of March 2017, full-scale construction did not appear to have begun. In September 2017, it was reported that boiler erection works had begun in August 2017, and construction of the compound wall for the project was under progress.

In November 2021 (17th Meeting), the Re-Constituted Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) for Thermal Power observed that the company needed to obtain an amended Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance for the unit from the government, as directed by a committee formed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT). (More information about this development is described under the Ennore SEZ Super Critical Thermal Power Project (Vayalur) wiki.)

In November 2022, it was reported that the unit was expected to be commissioned in December 2022. However, the November 2022 Broad Status Report set the commissioning date out to March 2023.

The May 2023 Broad Status report predicted the unit to be commissioned in October 2023.

In August 2023, TANGEDCO requested an amendment to their environmental clearance and CRZ clearance for "laying of ash slurry and recovery water pipelines" at the Stage III site. In September 2023, the EAC deferred TANGEDCO's proposal, stating that the company had not yet submitted their latest certified compliance report, a marine EIA, or proof of payment for a fine imposed by the NGT. Again in November 2023, the EAC deferred a proposal for amendments to the EC of Phase III.

The November 2023 Broad Status report pushed back the commissioning to February 2024. The report also noted that as the works on the FGD unit were initial stage, the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) and the Central Government have been address to give consent to commissioning the plant without the FGD unit.

According to the April 2024 Broad Status report, Unit 1 of Stage III was expected to run trials and be commissioned in May 2024. Construction of the unit was 96% complete at the time of reporting.

In June 2024, TANGEDCO reportedly sought an amendment to North Chennai Thermal Power Station Stage III's environmental clearance (EC). The change would allow the company to switch from 100% imported coal to a 50/50 mix of imported and domestic coal. Later in the month, the Expert Appraisal Committee recommended the amendment to the EC.

Per the October 2024 Broad Status report, Unit 1 of Stage III was expected to be commissioned in December 2024.

Coal supply

Coal for the power station is supplied from Mahanadhi Coalfields Limited (Talchar & IB Valley) in Orissa and Eastern Coalfields Limited at Ranikanj in West Bengal.

TANGEDCO consumes approximately 16 million tonnes of coal a year in its existing coal-fired power stations. Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd. and Eastern Coalfields Ltd. supply 13.5 Million tonnes per annum with the remainder "mainly" imported from Indonesia. The coal is transported by rail from the coal mines to the loading ports namely Haldia, Paradip and Vizag and discharged at Ennore Port and Tuticorin Port. Coal for the North Chennai Thermal Power Station is carried via a conveyer belt from the adjoining Ennore port.

Environmental impacts

A 2014 study of coal plants in Southeast India documented extensive environmental impacts from the North Chennai Thermal Power Station, including dumping of large quantities of coal combustion waste into the Buckingham Canal and in nearby marshlands, leaking ash ponds, and discharge of hot water into Ennore Creek. The impacts have been especially felt by local fishing communities, which have protested the expansion of the plant. Additional impacts have been caused by dredging associated with Ennore Port, which supplies coal to the plant. Environmental activists were demanding that construction on the third phase of the North Chennai Thermal Power Station in Ennore be halted since there is a wide variety of wildlife within the area of the plant that is at risk from continued construction. It was planned for 2019-2020 at the time.

Financing for Phase III

India's Rural Electrification Corporation provided Rs 68.9 billion (approx. US$965 million) in loans to Tangedco to set up the power plant and two substations of 765KV and 400KV capacity in and around Chennai. Financial closure was reached on January 28, 2017.

Contact details

North Chennai T.P.S,
Athipattu,
Chennai,
Thiruvallur (District)
PIN:600120.
Phone No. 044-27950061
Fax No. 044-27950074
e mail : cenctps AT tnebnet.org

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.