NTPC’s Talcher plant set for Stage-IV expansion with ultra-supercritical unit
The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) for Thermal Projects has recommended grant of Terms of Reference (ToR) for NTPC Limited’s proposed 1×800 MW ultra-supercritical thermal power unit at Talcher in Odisha’s Angul district. The proposed Stage-IV expansion will increase the total installed capacity of the Talcher Thermal Power Project (TTPP) from 1,320 MW to 2,120 MW.
The proposed unit will be developed within the existing plant premises using available land between the decommissioned Stage-I units and the under-construction Stage-III units. The project has an estimated capital cost of Rs 11,678.04 crore.
Project details
The existing Stage-III project comprises 2×660 MW units and is currently under construction. The proposed Stage-IV addition consists of a single 800 MW ultra-supercritical unit.
The project includes environment protection expenditure of Rs 1,661.8 crore and an annual recurring Environment Management Plan (EMP) cost of Rs 33 crore. NTPC has estimated employment generation of around 4,000 contractual workers and 80 permanent staff during construction, while operation will involve 600 contractual and 125 permanent personnel.
The total project area stands at 433.72 hectares, including 174.38 hectares of private land, 252.34 hectares of government land and 6.996 hectares of forest land. An additional 1.23 hectares of government land is under acquisition.
NTPC has proposed development of 142.72 hectares of greenbelt, covering 33% of the project area, with plantation of around 3,56,800 saplings.
Forest clearance status
The project involves diversion of 6.996 hectares of forest land for a make-up water pump house and associated pipeline corridor. Of this, 0.95 hectares relates to the pump house at Samal, while 6.046 hectares pertains to the water pipeline corridor.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has already granted Stage-II forest clearance for both components. Clearance for the pump house was accorded on May 1, 2023, while the pipeline corridor received approval on July 16, 2025.
Water and coal linkage
The proposed Stage-IV unit will require 30,000 kilo litres per day (KLD) of water, with sourcing planned partly from existing allocation from the Samal barrage on the Brahmani River. The balance requirement is yet to be tied up.
Stage-III already has water allocation approval from the Odisha Water Resources Department through a letter dated July 16, 2025. The water pipeline length for both stages is about 26 km, with specific water consumption indicated at 3.0 m³/MWhr.
Coal requirement for Stage-IV has been estimated at 3.94 million tonnes per annum (MTPA). However, coal linkage for the proposed unit is yet to be allocated, which remains one of the key pending approvals for the project.
Stage-III already has a Letter of Assurance (LoA) from Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), issued on October 26, 2023. Coal for both stages is planned to be transported through rail and pipe conveyor systems from Talcher coalfields located around 10 km away.
Environmental safeguards
The Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) task force has categorized NTPC under Category-B for sulphur dioxide (SO₂) emission compliance. Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) systems are under erection for Stage-III and are also planned for the proposed Stage-IV unit. Both units will have 275 metre-high stacks.
The EAC directed NTPC to implement Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) systems for both stages. The committee also mandated regular upstream and downstream water quality monitoring for nearby water bodies, including the Brahmani River and Nandira Jhor.
The project site is located about 2 km from the Brahmani River and adjacent to Nandira Jhor on the southern side. The High Flood Level (HFL) of the Brahmani River has been recorded at 62.26 metres above mean sea level (amsl), while the project site elevation ranges from 70-73 metres amsl.
The EAC also directed development of thick greenbelt zones along the Nandira Jhor periphery and near villages close to the Brahmani River.
Ash utilisation plan
NTPC informed the EAC that the project will not have a permanent ash dyke and only a temporary ash dyke will be maintained for emergency use. The company has targeted 100% ash utilisation.
Total ash generation from Stage-III and Stage-IV together is estimated at around 9.23 lakh metric tonnes per year. Dry fly ash and dry bottom ash silos have been proposed for storage and handling.
ToR conditions
The EAC imposed multiple specific ToR conditions on the project. These include submission of a flood plain certificate confirming that the site is outside the 1-in-25-year flood plain of the Brahmani River, biodiversity assessment through a National Accreditation Board for Education and Training (NABET)-accredited consultant, and a site-specific hydrological study through a government institution.
Additional conditions include radioactivity studies covering coal quality and heavy metals, preparation of a carbon emission and sequestration plan with a pathway towards net zero by 2050, traffic impact assessment for coal and ash transportation, and integration of renewable energy systems such as solar power.
The committee also directed NTPC to implement the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” plantation campaign separately from the statutory greenbelt requirement.
Pending approvals
Several approvals remain pending for the project. These include coal linkage allocation for Stage-IV, balance water allocation, certified compliance report from the regional office of MoEF&CC, no objection certificate for any diversion involving nearby nallahs, public hearing and site-specific seismic study.
Old units decommissioned
The earlier Stage-I (4×60 MW) and Stage-II (2×110 MW) units of the Talcher plant, originally developed by the erstwhile Odisha State Electricity Board (OSEB) and later taken over by NTPC in 1995, were decommissioned on March 31, 2021. The decommissioning has enabled utilisation of existing land and infrastructure for the new expansion stages.
The featured photograph is for representation only.
