NTPC Simhadri takes slew of measures to contain dust emission

Visakhapatnam: NTPC Simhadri Super Thermal Station has adopted a multipronged approach to contain ash pollution from its dyke.

Considered a jewel in the crown of maharatna NTPC, the coal-fired plant located about 45 km from here with an installed capacity of 2,000 MW (4 X 500 MW) of thermal and a 25 MW of floating solar plant installed on its freshwater reservoir, the company has also spent Rs 4.45 crore on CSR activity in the neighbourhood during 2022-23 as a responsible corporate citizen, according to NTPC Simhadri Chief General Manager Sanjay Kumar Sinha.

For controlling fugitive dust emission from ash dyke area many actions like installing wind barriers, planting of tall growing trees in between dyke and villages as green belt, installation of sprinklers and rain guns around the dykes, cow dung mulching and innovative use of drone for water sprinkling and deployment of water tankers for wetting the ash dyke roads and village roads.

Sinha, Business Unit Head of NTPC Simhadri told Bizz Buzz during a visit to the plant located at Deepanjalinagar near Parawada in Anakapalle district that their experiment by deploying a drone for sprinkling water has evoked an encouraging response. “Use of drones helps us in saving time and manpower. This is also cost-effective and helps us to sprinkle water with clinical precision,” he said.

In FY 22-23, NTPC Simhadri has done exceedingly well in the area of generation, availability and other parameters. Simhadri achieved 12,640 MUs of power generation at PLF of 72 per cent with forced outage (a measure of reliability of the station) being less than 2 per cent. Simhadri has not recorded any loss in generation due to coal shortage. Ash utilisation was around 176 per cent, highest since inception. Simhadri has achieved above 100 per cent ash utilisation for the past six years continuously.

As a new initiative of ash utilisation, 50,000 MT of fly ash has been exported to South Africa, Sinha said adding Simhadri has co-fired 479.67 MT of biomass in FY 2022-23 with 5.4 MT of in-house produced pellets from plant and township horticultural wastes. Biomass pelletisation plant was commissioned in August last year.

The floating solar plant has also recorded generation of 46.96 MU with an impressing capacity utilisation factor.

As per Environment Compliance (EC), air quality (SPM, SOx and NOx) and ground water quality are to be monitored on a regular basis (by establishing a good network of wells) and six-monthly reports are to be submitted to MoEF. Accordingly, AAQMS stations at Bal Bharti School, R&D building and Kalpakka and PM10 stations at Pittalavanipalem, Desaripeta and Devada have been installed. Data from these are being shared on a real-time basis, Sinha stated.