Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has received a Limited Notice to Proceed (LNTP) from DVC CIL Power Private Limited for the main plant package of the 1,600 MW Chandrapura thermal power project in Jharkhand.
The development marks another step forward for the major power generation project being developed at the existing Chandrapura Thermal Power Station.
DVC CIL Power Private Limited is a 50:50 joint venture between Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) and Coal India Limited (CIL). The project will be developed as a brownfield expansion at the Chandrapura plant in Bokaro district.
The proposed power station will consist of two ultra-supercritical units, each with an 800 MW generation capability. Together, the units will create 1,600 MW of power capacity.
Under the LNTP, L&T Energy CarbonLite Solutions will take care of the main plant package. Its responsibilities will include design and engineering, manufacturing, supply, erection, testing and commissioning of key equipment.
The scope includes boilers, steam turbines, generators and electrostatic precipitators, along with related mechanical, electrical, control and instrumentation and civil works.
The project will be based on ultra-supercritical technology which operates at higher temperatures and pressures than standard thermal power technology. It is designed to produce high thermal efficiency and lower specific emissions for large scale energy production.
The latest development does not fully represent the end stage of the project. DVC CIL Power is expected to issue the full Notice to Proceed after the required environmental clearances are secured and the LNTP period is completed. This means the project needs to be fully completed before it can be moved into the next phase of execution.
The Chandrapura expansion is part of plans by DVC and Coal India to increase generation capacity using existing power station infrastructure. Also, the brownfield approach allows the project to build on an established plant location instead of building an entirely new site.
Coal supply for the project is proposed from Coal India’s Central Coalfields Limited (CCL), and commercial operation is expected in financial year 2031-32. The project had also referred to the development as a 2x800 MW expansion on the existing Chandrapura Thermal Power Station.
The project adds another big power-sector order to L&T’s energy business. The company’s project classification shows the order in the major category, which is between Rs 5,000 crore and Rs 10,000 crore.
When the two units are completed, they will provide 1,600 MW of additional baseload generation capacity. The project will meet the growing electricity demand in Jharkhand and the whole region at large.
