BHEL gets work to rebuild PTPS

Government owned Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) on Thursday got work order from Patratu Vidhyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (PVUNL) to rebuild ruined and discarded Patratu Thermal Power Station (PTPS).

The work order has been given initially for three units of 800 MW each of the originally 10-unit plant which was under distress due to lowering power generation and growing cost. It had been handed over to maharatna power major National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) for revamping. Following that the joint venture company comprising NTPC and Jharkhand Bijli Vitaran Nigam Limited named as PUVNL had come up.

“BHEL had bagged the contract by beating companies like Larsen & Toubro and  Doosan of Korea which were eyeing the contract which includes engineering, procurement and construction of three 800 MW units coal-fired power plant being rebuilt by NTPC at Patratu. The project was estimated to be worth around Rs 14,000 crore, but BHEL's is slated to win it with the lowest bid of Rs 11,628 crore. Now when the work has been awarded, we are expecting speedy progress in the revamp of the plant,” said an official of JBVNL present on the occasion of contract signing.

Energy Secretary cum CMD of Jharkhand Urja Vikas Nigan Limited (JUVNL) Nitin Madan Kulkarni, Managing Director of Jharkhand Urja Sancharan Nigam Limited Niranjan Kumar and Chief Executive Officer of PUVNL AK Shina along with BHEL Executive Director GK Rehadu were present on the occasion.

As per the agreement, signed over two years back, NTPC has to refurbish the plant taking it to total 4000 MW capacity in two subsequent phases. First phase of 3X800 MW capacity would be completed by the end of 2021 and within next six months all the three plants would start power generation.

“The plants would be super critical in nature having world class technology. All the units would emit SO2 and N2O in very less quantity into air which would have least impact on environment. The plants would be eco-friendly and consume less coal to generate power. Air cooled system would be in place that will reduce water requirement by 40 per cent,” said the official.

As per the earlier plan, some of the units of the old plant were to be renovated but following the objections from the Ministry of Environment and Forest, the Jharkhand Cabinet had given its nod to go for complete restructuring and rebuilding exercise.