NTPC Vindhyachal sends first pond ash rail rake to NHAI Varanasi under dedicated contract

New Delhi: NTPC Vindhyachal on Monday flagged off its first rake of pond ash by rail under a dedicated contract. The consignment is meant for the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in Varanasi. Kishore Kumar Hota, Executive Director (Vindhyachal), flagged off the rake from Krishnashila siding. It will move to NHAI through Indian Railways in rail-cum-road (RCR) mode.

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Two general managers were present at the flag-off: M Suresh, General Manager (Operation and Maintenance), and NK Singh, General Manager (Maintenance and Administration). Senior officials of the station also attended.

Rail and road combined

Pond ash is the ash a coal-fired power station stores in its ash ponds. Under the RCR arrangement, the ash travels most of the way by rail and then by road to the project site. NTPC Vindhyachal said it expects the arrangement to support large-scale ash utilisation and to reduce dependence on road transport. The station also said it would lower fuel consumption and the carbon emissions that come with it.

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NTPC Vindhyachal described the dispatch as a pioneering initiative for sustainable ash utilisation. It said the move sets an example for other NTPC stations. According to the statement, the dispatch is part of the station's efforts to make its logistics more sustainable and to put its ash to use in infrastructure development.

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