State-run NTPC Ltd plans to expand to 4,800 MW the capacity of its Lara Super Thermal Power Project (Lara STPP) in Chhattisgarh by adding two units of 800 megawatt (MW) each, documents reviewed by Moneycontrol show.
The addition of Stage-III will make Lara STPP, which at present has a capacity of 3,200 MW, the biggest coal-fired thermal plant in the country, ahead of the 4,760 MW-Vindhyachal facility in Madhya Pradesh.
The plant’s Stage-I, which was built at a cost of Rs 15,800 crore and has two units of 800 MW each (1,600 MW), is currently operational.
The stone for Stage-II, worth Rs 15,530 crore and comprising another 1,600 MW, was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 24.
NTPC has now sought an environmental impact assessment study for Stage-III, the documents show. Stage-III is likely to cost around Rs 15,500 crore but the timeline for its construction is not known.
Despite its renewable push, India is stepping up coal-fired capacity to meet the country's growing energy needs.
India's peak power demand touched 250 GW on May 30 from a record 243 GW in 2023. Officials expect power demand to surge to a high of 384 GW in 2031-2032.
“It is estimated that by 2032, the required coal and lignite-based installed capacity would be 283 GW against the present installed capacity of 217.5 GW as on November 30, 2024. Considering this, the government of India has envisaged to set up an additional minimum 80 GW coal based capacity by 2031- 32,” power minister Manohar Lal Khattar told Parliament on December 19.
According to the power ministry, against a target of 80 GW, 29,200 MW of thermal capacity (coal & lignite based) is under construction and contracts for 19,200 MW have been awarded in FY25.
Another 36,320 MW of coal and lignite-based capacity has been identified, which is at various stages of planning.
Globally, too, the demand for coal hit a new high in 2024 and is expected to stay near these levels till 2027, an International Energy Agency (IEA) report released on December 18 said. India and China will continue to drive global coal demand, it said. India's strong demand has meant that imports have stayed at levels seen last year despite a production push led by Coal India.
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