00:00 Hello and welcome to BQ prime. I am your host Vikas Shrivastava. Today we are standing at
00:05 a site closer to NLC India's thermal power plant which is a pit head power plant attached
00:11 to Talabira coal mines. We have with us Mr. K. Satya Prasad. He is the executive director
00:18 and project head of Talabira coal mine of coal thermal power project of NLC India. He
00:25 will take us through to the current status of the power project in the country that NLC
00:30 is setting up here in Talabira and also about the proposed plan, what are the PPS that they
00:36 have signed up and also about which are the states that will be buying the power from
00:41 the power plant that is being proposed to be set up in next one year's time, one to
00:45 two year's time frame. Welcome to BQ prime Mr. Satya Prasad. My question basically would
00:51 like to start with what is the kind of status that we have of this power project right now
00:56 because as we saw in the morning the coal mine is almost operational and the power plant
01:02 will be getting the coal from this coal mine itself. So, can you take our audience through
01:06 to the current status of this project?
01:09 This is one of the very prestigious project for NLC India and we are going to set up four
01:16 units in two phases, three into 800 and one into 800 in the second phase. Right now we
01:23 are standing near the western side of our project area, from here we can see our mining
01:30 area also. So, coal will be transported through piped conveyors to this plant. Regarding land
01:38 acquisition here we are acquiring about 880 acres of land out of which about 130 acres
01:45 of land is already in our position and remaining land acquisition is also in very advanced
01:51 stage and we are expecting it to be completed by the end of next month.
01:57 So, as you may be aware of that our project we have already called for our bidders and
02:06 we have shortlisted two bidders L&T and BHCL. They are shortlisted and the price bids will
02:12 be called for in a short time and we are trying to award the work by this year end by December
02:26 2024.
02:27 So, what is the capacity that we have for this power plant? We have come to know that
02:31 in the second phase it will be up to 3200 megawatt. So, can you give us the breakup
02:35 like for the first phase, second phase?
02:37 First phase consists of 3 into 800 megawatt and second stage is 1 into 800 megawatt. As
02:45 per PPA concerned we have tied up entire 2400 megawatt of first phase with various discounts
02:55 various states. Out of 2400, 1500 for Tamil Nadu, 100 megawatt for Pondicherry, 400 to
03:05 Kerala and latest last month only we have signed with grid Odisha also for remaining
03:14 400. With that all 2400 have been tied up.
03:19 And for the second phase that will be taken up later on?
03:22 That will be taken up later on and we are going to start tendering activities for that
03:27 also and in that also for 800 out of that 800 megawatt, 400 megawatt is already tied
03:35 up with Odisha. So, only 400 is remaining for PPA.
03:42 How much coal for this power plant? What will be the total requirement of coal and will
03:47 be as obvious we will be sourcing it from the Talabira coal mine. What is the total
03:53 quantity of coal that you will be requiring for the power plant?
03:56 We will be requiring about 11.5 million tons of coal per annum.
04:04 And that will be sourced from your Talabira? From our Talabira mines which has a capacity
04:09 of 20 million tons. And what is the kind of planned investment
04:14 for this project? By when we are looking at the commissioning of the site also say the
04:19 first phase? So, as I said this LYA is expected to be issued
04:25 by this year end. So, first unit has a time frame of 52 months and 6 months period for
04:36 the next 2 and this one also. So, we are expecting by January 28 for first unit.
04:44 First unit or for the first phase? First unit of first phase and then June and
04:50 then December 28 will be the tentative dates for the commissioning of the project.
04:57 And total investments in that I asked? Total investment is about 19,400 crores.
05:04 And this will be funded in a debt equity manner. So, what you are looking at?
05:08 Debt equity of 70-30. And how much you have already spent as of now?
05:14 As of now we have spent about 650 crores for land acquisition. This land acquisition also
05:22 being done through IDCO, one government agency which is the nodal agency for land acquisition
05:31 in the state of Odisha. That is Industrial Development Corporation
05:35 basically? Yes, of Odisha.
05:38 And as far as greening of this entire belt is concerned, there is a norm that closer
05:43 to the river you cannot go up to say 500 meters, you cannot make construction. Similarly, for
05:48 forestation and other aspects, what exactly you are planning to do for this?
05:53 Here we are acquiring 880 acres for plant and 500 meters we are leaving from river bank
06:02 to our plant. So, that much area we are leaving without any permanent or plant related structures.
06:11 Plantation area? Greenery, we have normal norms is actually
06:19 this plant project area is coming in other polluted areas. I mean in as per the.
06:31 Wasteland areas. Yeah, critically polluted, severely polluted
06:35 like was some demarcation is there between the areas. This is coming under other polluted
06:40 areas. So, our norms is actually 33 percent green coverage and we are going to make 40
06:48 percent. So, it will be. More than what is the current requirement
06:53 basically? Yes.
06:54 And as far as disposal of the waste is concerned from the power plant like we all know that
06:58 major waste is in the fly ash that comes out. So, have you already tied up with place for
07:03 disposal of waste and what exactly you are doing as far as treatment or requirement of
07:08 water is concerned for the plant? Basically ours is a zero discharge plant only
07:15 whatever water we are processing and whatever sludge is generated that will be treated before
07:25 using it for other green development or dust suppression or coal stock like that. So, there
07:36 would not be any discharge into the natural river areas and for ash we are going to construct
07:47 one ash pond. It is a very small size. It is for a stop gap arrangement only. Primarily
07:58 our ash will be disposed to the mine wide which is being created in our mines after
08:06 removal of all the coal that area will be filled up with the ash generated from the
08:13 plant. And we are trying to get some tie up with the plants I mean cement plants and brick
08:23 manufacturers I mean fly ash brick manufacturers and these. We are confident that all 100 percent
08:33 mostly we will be tied up with all. And this power plant is going to be a super
08:37 critical power plant? Yes.
08:39 That you all are setting up? Yes.
08:40 So, all the units will be super critical? All units will be super critical.
08:45 Who are the suppliers for our this boiler generators and reactor?
08:50 As I said we have already called for the tenders and two are shortlisted techno commercially.
08:58 One is L&T another one is BHEL. After calling for our price based on their quotation and
09:07 other things that work will be awarded. Total entire work will be awarded to any of these
09:13 agencies. Thank you very much for talking to BQ prime.
09:17 It was our pleasure. Thank you.
09:20 Thank you sir. Thank you for watching BQ prime. For more
09:21 news keep watching BQ prime. Thank you.
09:25 [Music]
