Vizag Thermal Power Plant

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Vizag Thermal Power Plant is an operating power station of at least 1040-megawatts (MW) in Palavalasa, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India.

Location

Table 1: Project-level location details

Plant name Location Coordinates (WGS 84)
Vizag Thermal Power Plant Palavalasa, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India 17.563642, 83.138877 (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: 17.563642, 83.138877

Project Details

Table 2: Unit-level details

Unit name Status Fuel(s) Capacity (MW) Technology Start year
Unit 1 operating coal: unknown 520 subcritical 2015
Unit 2 operating coal: unknown 520 subcritical 2016

Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details

Unit name Owner Parent
Unit 1 Hinduja National Power Corporation Ltd [100%] Hinduja Group Ltd
Unit 2 Hinduja National Power Corporation Ltd [100%] Hinduja Group Ltd

Background

The power station comprises two units, each of 520 MW. The plant has been the locus of controversy including large protests in 2011. In November 2011, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) decided to defer the coastal regulation zone approvals to the project following alleged violations by the company.[1]

Nearly two decades after its proposal, the power station is expected to be commissioned by the end of 2014.[2] The engineering, construction, and procurement contract was awarded to Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), which is an Indian government-owned engineering and manufacturing enterprise based in New Delhi, India.[3]

In October 2014, it was reported that the first unit would be commissioned in December 2014, and the second in January-February 2015.[4]

Financing

In July 2010, a financing agreement for the project was closed. US$892 million in loans was provided by SBI Capital, Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank, Corporation Bank, Federal Bank, Indian Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce, Punjab National Bank, Punjab & Sind Bank, State Bank of Bikaner & Jaipur, State Bank of India, UCO Bank, Union Bank of India, United Bank of India and Vijaya Bank.[5]

Opposition

In December 2011, members of 32 villages affected by the Hinduja Power Plant blockaded the main entrance to the plant. The protesters demanded employment for local workers as well as compensation for the 623 acres acquired for the project. After assurances by governmental and company officials that a meeting would be convened in 15 days to resolve the issues, the protest dispersed. [6]

According to reporting from October 2023, residents living near the power plant had requested that HNPCL relocate them away from exposure to the plant's coal ash dump. For more than six months, the residents had reportedly asked the management to prevent "careless disposal" of coal waste in the ash pond, which the villagers alleged "was responsible for both groundwater and air pollution, resulting in loss in vegetation, health problems among residents, and harm to cattle." The residents eventually approached the High Court and launched a Public Interest Litigation.[7]

Articles and Resources

References

  1. "MoEF defers nod to Hinduja coal power project in AP," The Economic Times, November 26, 2011
  2. "Telangana power discoms asked to sign PPAs with Hinduja National Power," The Hindu, July 11, 2014
  3. BHEL commissions 520 MW thermal power unit in Andhra Pradesh, Financial Express, June 1, 2016
  4. "First unit of Hinduja Power’s Vizag plant to go on stream by December," Hindu Business Line, Oct 10, 2014
  5. "Hinduja signs power loan | News | IJGlobal". ijglobal.com. Retrieved 2020-10-30.
  6. "Protest at Hinduja power plant," Deccan Chronicle, December 13, 2011
  7. "We can’t breathe: A village in Visakhapatnam fights coal dust in their lungs," The News Minute, October 28, 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.