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Coal miner Singareni to illuminate Telangana
Come Sunday (August 7), the history is about to be written in the annals of 127-year-old Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) when Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicate the Rs 8,250 crore 2X600-MW coal-fired Singareni Thermal Power Plant (STPP) at Pegadapalli under Jaipur in Adilabad district to the nation.Â
​Hyderabad: Come Sunday (August 7), the history is about to be written in the annals of 127-year-old Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) when Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicate the Rs 8,250 crore 2X600-MW coal-fired Singareni Thermal Power Plant (STPP) at Pegadapalli under Jaipur in Adilabad district to the nation.
What prompted then C&MD of the State-owned Singareni S Narsing Rao, who is now the Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, to lead the mining player foray into power generation? It was a pretty simple idea yet powerful. With coal and Godavari water, the two main raw materials, in hand, he might have thought that venturing into energy sector could augur well for the power-starved State.
Although the power plant was mooted somewhere around 2007, it took another few years for the then government to bring the project on board. Albeit, works on construction of 600-MW STPP Stage-I at an estimated cost of Rs 3,000 crore begun on November 11, 2011, the roller-coaster ride of the plant soon experienced hiccups due to inadequate finances.
However, post bifurcation in 2014, there was a sea of change in the prospects of the power plant with the Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao specifically appointing N Sridhar as the C&MD of the SCCL. Picking up the baton passed on by his predecessors, Sridhar has been in a mission mode to complete the plant since he took over charge of the SCCL from Sutirth Bhattacharya in 2014.
The progress of works which competed with that of a snail’s pace until then picked up express speed with the C&MD kept monitoring the works from time to time. Besides laying focus on the completion of power plant works, he remained a great source of inspiration for his staff in augmenting the coal production as well. He was always ready to reach out the employees to pat them for job well done.
Against this backdrop, the authorities synchronized 600-MW first unit on March 13 and the second one on June 1 this year. The STPP has entered into a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the TSDISCOMs on January 18 to supply 1200 MW power for a period of 25 years. The operation and maintenance of the plant has been assigned to Steag Energy Services (India) Private Limited.
Speaking to The Hans India, the STPP general manager Sudhakar Reddy said: “Both the units (2X600-MW) have been synchronized with the grid. Barring the pendency of a few minor works of the Unit-II, the plant is ready.” The STPP is likely to announce its commercial operations date (COD) soon, he added.
Meanwhile, the arrangements are in progress for the inauguration of the power plant at Gajwel in Medak district. Modi is scheduled to unveil the plaque formally at Gajwel on August 7. A huge digital screen will be installed at the plant for the benefit of invitees and staff to watch live programme of the PM, the SCCL Chief Communication Officer Gana Shankar Pujari said.
