NTPC Dadri power plant, also known as National Capital Power Station (NCPS), is a coal and gas-fired thermal power plant located in Uttar Pradesh, India. National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) is the project owner.

With a total installed capacity of 2.63GW, the Dadri power plant is one of the biggest thermal power plants in India and the only coal and gas-fired power plant in the country. Of the total power generated, 1,820MW comes from the coal-fired plant and the remaining 817MW from the gas-fired plant.

The coal-based power plant has an approved development cost of approximately £190m (Rs16.69bn).

Boiler upgrade at NTPC Dadri power plant

NTPC is upgrading the boilers at the Dadri power plant with low nitrogen oxide (NOx) firing system to reduce the NOx emissions. The plant will be equipped with GE’s NOx firing system, which will support BHEL’s flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) systems.

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The first of its kind technology will reduce the nitrogen oxide levels by approximately 40% from the current levels. The SCRs will enable higher reduction in NOx emission.

NTPC Dadri power plant location and site details

The NTPC Dadri power plant is located near the town of Dadri in the district of GautamBudh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is located 9km from Dadri town and 48km from Delhi, the capital city of India.

The four units of the coal-fired plant were commissioned in October 1991, December 1992, March 1993, and March 1994, respectively. The second stage consists of two units of 490MW each, which started operations in January and July 2010, respectively.

The gas turbines at the gas-fired plant were commissioned in the months of May, June, August, and December of 1992. The two steam turbines started operations in August 1996 and April 1997.

IBRD provided international assistance for the coal-based units, while KfW provided international assistance for the gas-based units of the project.

NTPC Dadri power plant make-up

The coal-fired plant was developed in two stages, with the first stage comprising four 210MW units and two units added later. The gas-fired power plant features four 130.19MW gas turbines and two 154.51MW steam turbines.

The Unit 6, added under stage two of the coal-fired power plant, features a condensate throttling system, which is based on Siemens SPPA-P3000 Frequency Control Solution. The system allows for the immediate generation of additional power for frequency control.

The project also comprises of a 1,500MW high-voltage direct current (HVDC) converter station and a 4,500MW capacity switchyard.

In addition to the coal and gas-fired power plants, NTPC Dadri also features a 5MW solar plant.

Power transmission

NTPC supplies the power generated by the gas-fired power plant to the Indian Railways as well as to the states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttrakhand, Rajasthan, Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, and Jammu & Kashmir.

The power generated by the coal-fired plant currently meets the needs of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

Fuel and water supply

Coal for the plant is supplied by Piparwar Mines located in Jharkhand, while water is sourced from Upper Ganga Canal, Mat Branch.

Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) is supplying the required gas for the plant from the Hazira-Bijapur-Jagdishpur (HBJ) pipeline. Water required for the gas-based power plant is collected from Upper Ganga Canal.

Contractors involved

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) commissioned the first 490MW unit of stage two of the coal-fired power plant at NTPC Dadri in August 2006. The contractual scope included manufacture, supply, testing, erection, and commissioning of the main plant package.

BHEL was also awarded the contract for installing the FGD system at NCPS.

Siemens supplied primary frequency control solution, modelled on condensate throttling, at the plant.

GE Power was awarded the contract to upgrade the coal-fired boiler at the coal-fired units of the NTPC Dadri power plant, in September 2018.