India to establish first 800-MW AUSC thermal power plant in Korba
India’s first 800-MW advanced ultra-supercritical (AUSC) thermal power plant will be established in Korba, Chhattisgarh. The project is a collaboration between NTPC and BHEL, with support from the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research.
In July 2024, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the joint effort by NTPC and BHEL to develop this innovative thermal power plant. The technology, indigenously developed through joint research and development, will be deployed in a full-scale 800 MW commercial plant, with fiscal support from the government.
The Korba site, already home to NTPC’s 2,600-MW power unit, was selected after extensive scouting. The AUSC plant will achieve a thermal efficiency of 46 per cent, a significant improvement over the current 32 per cent average efficiency of India’s coal-fired plants, and well above the 41-42 per cent of supercritical and 38 per cent of subcritical units. This efficiency leap will result in an 11 per cent reduction in coal consumption and carbon dioxide emissions compared to supercritical plants.
The estimated cost of the project is Rs 150 billion. The final project approval will come from the Ministry of Power and the Ministry of Heavy Industries.
The AUSC technology works by increasing steam temperatures to 710-720°C at 300 Bar pressure, compared to around 600°C in ultra-supercritical units, significantly boosting efficiency. The indigenous development places India ahead of countries like China, Japan, the United States, and Europe, which are still in the development phase of similar technologies.
India’s thermal power technology has seen rapid advancements, with the first supercritical plant commissioned in 2010 at Mundra by Adani. Since then, 72 supercritical and 20 ultra-supercritical units have been developed. The Korba AUSC plant further reinforces this trajectory by achieving higher efficiency and lower emissions.