National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) are jointly setting up a highly efficient 800 megawatts advance ultra supercritical (AUSC) thermal power plant. //

India’s current arsenal of thermal power plants operate at an average of 32 per cent efficiency. The AUSC technology can ramp this up to 46 per cent efficiency. In the past few decades, Indian coal fleet has gone through rapid changes in terms of technology, with the first supercritical plant launched in 2010 at Mundra Adani Plant. Following this, a total of 72 supercritical and 20 ultra supercritical units have come into operation. //

State-of-the-art ultra supercritical technology heats steam temperature at around 600 degrees Celsius and 300 Bar pressure with an optimal efficiency of 42 per cent. Increasing steam parameters is one of the best ways to achieve results in increasing efficiency.

The AUSC technology will increase the steam temperature to 710-720°C at 300 Bar pressure and achieve efficiency upwards of 46 per cent. This will decrease the coal usage and emission intensity per megawatt-hour of electricity produced.