After maligning Yadadri power plant, Congress Govt now pins hopes on plant for power

The Congress had also found fault with the location of the Yadadri plant, saying that it was far from coal mines which could lead to coal transport costs of over Rs.800 crore per annum, and went to the extent of terming the project unviable.

Hyderabad: The Congress government, which had right from the beginning targeted the previous BRS government alleging delays in construction of the 5×800 megawatt Yadadri Thermal Power Station (YTPS) being constructed in Damaracherla of Nalgonda district, even calling it a burden on the people of Telangana, is now hoping that the same project will rescue the State from an imminent power crisis in the near future.

The State government had in March constituted a judicial commission, headed by Justice L Narasimha Reddy (now replaced by Justice Madan B. Lokur), to probe the awarding of the contract for the YTPS and the Bhadradri Thermal Power Station (BTPS) to Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL). The Congress also had raised serious doubts on the delay in the completion of the project and the awarding the contract works on a nomination basis without competitive bidding to some agencies, including BHEL. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy had alleged in the Assembly that there was large-scale corruption in the project as the BRS government opted for the sub-critical technology, stating that it had caused huge losses to the State exchequer.

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The Congress had also found fault with the location of the Yadadri plant, saying that it was far from coal mines which could lead to coal transport costs of over Rs.800 crore per annum, and went to the extent of terming the project unviable.

However, Revanth Reddy and Energy Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka appeared to have forgotten all their accusatory rhetoric against the plant, with the State government now asking GENCO to ensure that at least 4000 MW of power is generated from the plant by March next year. In fact, during a recent review meeting here, Bhatti had instructed officials that the first unit should be ready by October 30, second unit by October 15, third unit by February, 2025, fourth unit by this December and the fifth unit by March 2025, indicating that the State government now wanted to use the plant as a major source of power.

With the power demand rising each year, official sources said if two units of the plant were commissioned before October, it would come to the rescue of the State next year. Already, Genco engineers have taken up the boiler light-up and auxiliary boiler light-up of Unit-I and II of the YTPS on May 14. The boiler light-up will set in motion the process of commencement of power generation in the plant first on an experimental basis and later on a commercial basis. As per the revised environmental clearance granted to the project in April first week, the first two units were scheduled to be commissioned on October 15 this year.

The power plant is likely to create direct employment to 2000 persons and another 2000 indirectly. The Genco has already signed an agreement with Singareni Collieries Company Limited for 100 percent coal link for 14 million tonnes per annum (MTPA). Apart from this, TG Genco has built a 400 acre ash pond on the site. About 14 cement plants and two brick-making units within a 50 km radius of the plant have been approached for uptake. Letters of willingness have been received.

Former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao had proposed to establish the 4,000 MW coal-based supercritical Yadadri Thermal Power Station at Veerlapalem village in Damarcherla on 1,133.14 hectares. The union Ministry for Environment and Forest granted the environmental clearance on June 29, 2017, while the State Pollution Control Board gave consent on July 25, 2017. BHEL launched works on October 17, 2017. However, the clearance was challenged by a Mumbai-based NGO in the National Green Tribunal (Southern Zone), which disposed of the case by giving certain observations and directions. Subsequently, TG Genco sought additional terms of reference from the union Ministry for Environment and Forest, which were granted on November 8, 2023. Following this, the Expert appraisal committees (EAC) approved the proposal for an amendment to the clearance, aligning with NGT directives and the additional TOR issued by the union Ministry for Environment and Forest.