Govt approves Rs 1,554 crore to develop technology for power plants

Government today approved Rs 1,554 crore R&D project to develop advanced ultra super critical (AUSC) technology for thermal power plants, a move that would ensure energy security. The CCEA "approved a proposal of R&D project for development of Advanced Ultra Super Critical (AUSC) technology for thermal power plant with an estimated cost of Rs 1,554 crore and providing one time budgetary support of Rs 900

crore spread over a period of three years, commencing from 2017-18, to be provided as plan Gross Budgetary Support to BHEL for implementation of the R&D project," Ministry of Heavy Industry and Public Enterprises said in a statement. A consortium of three government entities -- Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL), Indira Gandhi Centre of Atomic Research (IGCAR) and NTPC -- have proposed a R&D project for development of AUSC technology for thermal power plants of future, envisaging reduced coal consumption as well as Carbon Di-Oxide (CO2) emission, it said.

The project is formulated with a timecycle of two and a half years, with an estimated cost of Rs 1,554 crore, with a contribution of Rs 270 crore from BHEL, Rs 50 crore from NTPC, Rs 234 crore from IGCAR, Rs 100 crore from Department of Science and Technology (DST).

Balance amount of Rs 900 crore will be contributed by Department of Heavy Industry (DHI) as grant, the statement said.

The project will enable Indian industries to design, manufacture and commission higher efficiency coal-fired power plants with indigenously developed technology and manufacturing processes.

This will be the first time large power plant equipment will be manufactured with advanced technologies, but without any technological collaboration/licensing agreement with foreign companies.

"The proposed technology is still in research stage...It is still not matured and demonstrated anywhere in the world," it said.

The consortium partners are working on the project from the basics of material development, characterisation of alloys for high temperature and high pressure applications, basic principles of thermal engineering useful in design from scratch for large equipment like boiler among others.

Power generation from coal contributes to about 38 per cent of CO2 pollution in the atmosphere. Twenty per cent reduction in CO2 emission at source combined with 20 per cent saving in coal consumption compared to a sub-critical plant and by about 11 per cent compared to a supercritical plant are the primary reasons justifying this project.

Use of this technology in all future large power plants will ensure energy security for the country for a longer period, along with a greener environment.

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