NTPC, a state-owned power generation company in India, unveiled the 660MW Unit 2 of the Barh Superthermal Power Project in Patna, the capital of Bihar. The 660MW unit is part of the first phase of the project, and its completion ceremony marks a milestone in providing affordable electricity to the state.

The commissioning of this device was completed by NTPC in July 2023. The installed capacity of NTPC Group and NTPC Limited has now reached 73GW and 57GW respectively. The approved production capacity of Barh STPP is 3.3GW. It is powered by five coal-fired units, each with a power generation capacity of 660MW. The first unit of Phase II was put into use in November 2013. The IV and V units were put into use in November 2014 and February 2016.

The cornerstone of the first phase of the project was initially laid in 1999 and put into use in 2009. This date was subsequently extended to 2012. The project is facing delays due to land unavailability and disputes related to the contract. NTPC initially chose Russian company Technopromexport as the contractor, but this arrangement was terminated in 2014 due to contract disputes.

Doosan Heavy Industries, a subsidiary of the Korean conglomerate Doosan, won an engineering, procurement, and construction contract from NTPC in February 2016. The contract is worth 2.943 million US dollars and includes the comprehensive design, production, and installation of three 660MW boilers for the first phase of the power plant. State owned equipment manufacturer Barat Heavy Electric Co., Ltd. won a contract in October 2018 to provide emission control equipment for Barh and other projects.Editor/XingWentao