NTPC declares COD of Unit-3 at North Karanpura TPP in Jharkhand

NTPC Limited has declared the Commercial Operation Date (COD) for Unit-3 (660 MW) of the North Karanpura Thermal Power Project (TPP) on June 15, 2025. The plant is located near Tandwa town in Chatra district of Jharkhand.

The project comprises three supercritical units of 660 MW each and has been implemented at a total cost of Rs 151.64 billion. Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) was awarded the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract.

Unit 3 completed its 72-hour full load trial run on April 14, 2025. The unit uses coal sourced directly from the nearby Pakri Barwadih mine. NTPC has secured a Letter of Assurance from Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) for 7.039 million tonnes per annum of coal under the SHAKTI-2017 policy. A Fuel Supply Agreement (FSA) will be signed post-commissioning.

Power from the project is allocated to multiple states: Jharkhand (500 MW), Bihar (688 MW), Odisha (396 MW), and West Bengal (99 MW), with 297 MW unallocated. The transmission system includes two 400 kV double circuit lines—NKSTPP to Chandwa and NKSTPP to Gaya—developed by NKTL..

With Unit-3 now operational, all three units of the North Karanpura project are commercially active.