Government has asked country's largest power producer NTPC to carry out a feasibility study for shifting its 360 MW naptha-based Kayamkulam power plant in Kerala to some other location.

"The Kerala government recently requested the Centre to shift the plant to somewhere else. The Centre accepted its request and asked NTPC for carrying out the techno-economic feasibility study on the same," the source said.

Sources said the state wants to shift the plant, which is fuelled by naphtha, to a place well connected with a gas pipeline. According to an NTPC official, the plant had been facing problem over the past as power cost from this plant is high and there are not enough buyers for the energy generated at the plant.

"The plant load factor (PLF) of this plant in the current year is 5.69 per cent," the official said. A PLF is a measure of average capacity utilisation.

The Rajiv Gandhi Combined Cycle Power Plant (also known as Rajiv Gandhi CCPP Kayamkulam is of NTPC and is fuelled by imported and indigenous naphtha. Kerala is the major beneficiary of Kayamkulam Thermal Power Plant.

NTPC has a total installed capacity of 45,548 MW, including 39,352 MW through directly owned units and 6,196 MW through subsidiaries and joint ventures. It has 18 coal fired, 7 gas based, eight solar renewable, one hydroelectric and seven subsidiaries/joint venture power stations, according to its website.

NTPC told to use treated water
Union power minister Piyush Goyal has asked NTPC to use sewage treated by Nagpur Municipal Corporation's (NMC) for its Mouda plant. The plant is currently operating two 500MW units using Gosikhurd water. This switchover is needed to release more water from the dam for irrigation. NTPC also needs water linkage for two new 660MW units.

NMC is building a 200 million litre per day (MLD) capacity STP at Bhandewadi. The concessionaire Vishwaraj Infrastructure was looking for buyers of its treated water. Earlier, it was looking for industrial users but did not get much success. It then approached NTPC with this proposal.

The central government had earlier announced that if any power plant is located within 50km from a municipal corporation city then it will be mandatory for the power plant to use treated sewage water of the city.

This condition has been made mandatory for the 1,320MW NTPC plant at Solapur too.

Lifting of pond ash
NTPC Ltd’s 2980 MW super thermal power station at Sipat has invited potential users for lifting of pond ash from its ash dyke free of cost as per its stipulated guidelines and conditions.

Pond ash has a varying use like filling in low lying areas, abandoned mines, road construction etc, officials stated.

On the other hand, NTPC Sipat will also soon start appointing to sell fly ash bricks manufactured by NTPC Sipat Station.

Fly ash is a byproduct of power generation with coal. Sustainable ash utilisation is one of the key concerns at NTPC.

It may be mentioned here that NTPC’s Ash Utilisation Division (AUD), set up in 1991, is striving to derive maximum usage from the vast quantities of ash produced at its various power stations. The ash is now being looked at as a commodity that could generate wealth for the company in the long run, officials stated.

The fly ash generated at NTPC stations is ideal for use in the manufacture of cement, concrete, concrete products, cellular concrete products, bricks/blocks/ tiles.

Significantly, NTPC the largest power utility of the country recorded highest single day generation of 733.12 MUs, the highest so far in this Financial Year from its 18 coal based, 7 gas based, 8 solar and Hydro power stations on August 27, 2015. The Declared Cumulative Capability of the stations was 91.10 per cent and Plant load factor ( PLF) of 86.34 per cent on the day.

During financial year 2014-15, NTPC Group contributed 25 per cent of total electricity generated in India with 16 per cent share of Country’s total installed capacity as on 31.03.2015.

NTPC recorded Gross generation of 241.261 BUs (stand-alone) in FY 2014-15 registering a growth of 3.42 per cent. Plant Load Factor (PLF) of NTPC’s coal stations was 80.23 per cent against national average of 64.46 per cent.

Two stations recorded more than 90 per cent PLF. All NTPC stations achieved Plant Availability of or above 83 per cent.

Four coal stations of NTPC featured among the top 10 stations of the Country in terms of PLF in FY 2014-15.