CONRAD DIAS
Ranchi, March 29: NTPC’s North Karanpura Power Plant in Chatra district seems to be clearing the clouds of trouble. The power plant is ready for production. As per the information provided by the officials, the water consumption in this first air-cooled condenser plant of the country will be 80 percent less than the normal plant.
Saibal Ghosh, Corporate Communication Manager at NTPC, Tandwa spoke to Lagatar24.com and informed about the successful completion of the turbine run.
“The turbine of the first unit successfully ran at 3,000 rpm on March 27. The power supply will start after the testing process which will take around three months,” he said.
Like the first unit, the second and third unit will be tested within three to four months. Each unit will generate 660 MW of electricity. Ghosh added that out of the total 1,980 MW, 500 MW will be given to Jharkhand, at a subsidised rate. Remaining power will be supplied to Delhi, Bihar, Odisha and other states.
He also informed that the work has resumed normally after there was a violent clash between the locals and the police on March 7 that led to demolition of 56 small and big vehicles deployed at the plant and also vandalised the offices. A total of 27 people were injured in the clash.
Since the foundation stone was placed in 1999, the project has been surrounded by controversy. People whose land was taken for the plant’s construction have been protesting for the past two decades, demanding financial compensation, rehabilitation, and jobs.