Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday dedicated the NTPC Darlipali Super Thermal Power Station (2×800 MW), NSPCL Rourkela PP-II Expansion Project (1×250 MW) and laid the foundation stone of NTPC Talcher Thermal Power Project, Stage-III (2×660 MW) with a total investment of Rs 28,978 Crore during a programme at Sambalpur.

Located in the Sundargarh district of Odisha, Darlipali STPS is a pit-head Power Station with Supercritical (highly efficient) Technology and supplies low-cost power to its beneficiary states, such as Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Gujarat and Sikkim.

The 250 MW project of NTPC-SAIL Power Company Ltd is established in Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) to provide reliable power for the steel plant which is vital for economic growth.

Further, NTPC is developing the Talcher Thermal Power Project, Stage-III within old TTPS plant premises in the Angul district of Odisha, which was taken over by the NTPC from the Odisha State Electricity Board in the year 1995. The old TTPS plant was decommissioned after completing more than 50 years of service to the nation.

The upcoming plant will have highly efficient Ultra Super Critical Technology-based units with approximately three times the capacity of the old TTPS plant. While 50% capacity from this project is dedicated to the state of Odisha, other beneficiary states such as Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Assam will also get low-cost power from this pit-head station.

This project is being constructed with all modern environmental features like an efficient electrostatic precipitator, Flue gas desulphurization, bio-mass cofiring, and covered storage space for coal and will thus help in lesser Specific Coal Consumption and CO2 emissions.

Besides creating direct and indirect employment opportunities in the region, these projects have contributed to the improvement of physical infrastructure such as approach roads, drainage, transportation, and communication facilities. Various community development initiatives are also being undertaken by the NTPC in the surrounding villages in the areas of education, drinking water, sanitation, health, women empowerment, rural sports, etc. NTPC has also set up a Medical College cum Hospital in Sundargarh, Odisha.

The occasion was graced by the presence of Raghubar Das, Governor, Odisha, Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister, Govt of Odisha, Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister of Railways; Communications; and Electronics and Information Technology, Bishweswar Tudu, Union MoS of Tribal Affairs; and Jal Shakti, Nitesh Ganga Deb, Member of Parliament, Nauri Nayak, Member of Odisha Legislative Assembly, Gurdeep Singh, CMD, NTPC along with other dignitaries.