Another NTPC plant in Bihar begins commercial generation

New Delhi: Maharatna power PSU NTPC Limited on Monday announced that a 660-MW unit of its plant at Barh, on the outskirts of Patna, has started commercial generation, which would result in an additional 396 MW electricity supply to Bihar.

In a statement issued here, the NTPC also said this has resulted in an increase in the total commercial generation capacity of the plant from 1,980 MW to 2,640 MW.

Bihar's allocation from the facility has thus risen to 1,922 MW from 1,526 MW from Monday, while the total allocation from all NTPC plants in the state has gone up to 7,287 MW from 6,891 MW.

The NTPC also disclosed that the unit, which started commercial generation on Monday, had successfully completed the mandatory 72-hour full-load trial-run operation on June 30.

"The fifth unit of the Barh plant, which would be the last of Stage-I, will be completed next year", the company said.

According to the allocation fixed by the Union Ministry of Power, 396 MW will be supplied "to the home state of Bihar" while the remaining will go to the Jharkhand, Odisha and Sikkim.

Notably, commercial operation of the first unit of Barh Stage-I had begun in November, 2021, when a function organised to mark the occasion was attended by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and R K Singh, the Union Minister for Power, New and Renewable Energy.

The Barh plant, which is being built at a total estimated cost of more than Rs 21,000 crore, is located in the Barh subdivision of Patna district.

According to NTPC spokesman Vishwanath Chandan, "two units of 660 MW each (Unit IV and V) of Stage II of Barh Super Thermal Power Project have been generating electricity since November 15, 2014, and February 18, 2016, respectively."

"Bihar is getting power from six NTPC plants in the state. Its overall allocation of 7,287 MW includes 300 MW of solar power," he added.

DSGSS Babji, NTPC regional executive director (East-I), said on the occasion "at present, the comapny has a commercial generation capacity of 9,730 MW of power in six projects with an investment of over Rs 80,000 crore in Bihar."

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