CIL and DVC sign MoU to develop 1600 MW power plant in Jharkhand

Coal India Limited (CIL) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) to jointly develop a 2×800 MW ultra supercritical coal-fired power plant at the Chandrapura thermal power station in Jharkhand. This project, a brownfield expansion, will increase the plant’s capacity from the existing 2×250 MW.

The proposed plant will require a total investment of Rs. 165 billion, with the joint venture based on a 50:50 equity sharing model. Coal for the plant will be sourced from nearby coalfields operated by CIL’s subsidiaries, Bharat Coking Coal Limited and Central Coalfields Limited. The project has received in-principle approval from the Central Government.

The expansion plan follows the demolition of decommissioned units in the existing plant area in Bokaro district. The current plant, which has two operational units (Units 7 and 8), each with a capacity of 250 MW, also includes six retired units. The most recent unit, Unit 8, was commissioned in November 2011.