The plant is being developed in four phases and comprises four units of 330MW each and five units of 660MW each. Construction began in 2008 and full commissioning is expected in 2012.
Of the total nine units, six are in operation and generating 2,640MW. The remaining three 660MW units are expected to be synchronised to the grid during fiscal year 2011-12.
On completion, Mundra Power Plant will be India’s largest thermal power plant and the third largest in the world. The project was undertaken as part of the company’s strategic plan to achieve generation capacity of 20,000MW by 2020.
Development of Mundra Power Plant
Phase I of Mundra Power Plant’s development consists of two 330MW units. Unit 1 was commissioned in October 2009, eight months ahead of schedule, and Unit II was commissioned in March 2010.
Phase II consists of two 330MW units: Unit 3 and Unit 4, which were commissioned in 2010.
“The Mundra Power Plant plans to achieve a generation capacity of 20,000MW by 2020.”
Phases III and IV consist of two and three units of 660MW each, numbered as units 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. Units 5 and 6 were commissioned in December 2010 and June 2011, respectively. Unit 5 has the world’s first supercritical technology to be certified by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change for carbon credits.
All the 660MW units feature supercritical technology, which reduces carbon emissions by up to 20% more than the conventional thermal power units. The units have more than 40% efficiency as they operate at high temperatures and pressures.
Project details
The Mundra Power Plant will use coal imported from a mine in Bunyu Island, Indonesia, under a 15-year fuel supply agreement signed with Adani Enterprises. Phases I and II will be supplied with 4.8mtpa of coal and phase III with 4.24mtpa.
Phase IV will import 6.4mtpa of F-grade coal from Mahanadi Coalfields in Orissa, India.
A coal jetty will be set up 5km from the project site to transport coal from Mundra Port to the plant.
Sea water for cooling purposes is transported using large diameter glass-reinforced pipes. The Mundra plant is the first project in India to use such pipes.
Construction of the Mundra Power Plant
The engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for phase I was awarded to Sichuan Machinery and Equipment Import and Export. Kowa Company won the EPC contract for phase II.
The boilers for both phases were supplied by Babcock & Wilcox, and the generators were provided by Beijing Beizhong.”Unit 5 has the world’s first UN-certified supercritical technology.”
The electrical piping for both phases was carried out by Universal Erectors for Sichuan Fortune Project Management of China. The scope of work involved receiving the material, shifting, loading and unloading of material, site storage, material handling at the project site, fabrication and erection.
The high-speed material handling system for the two phases at the port was constructed by Neo Structo Construction.
The EPC contract for phases III and IV was awarded to SEPCO III. Boilers are being delivered by Harbin Boiler. Turbine and generators are being supplied by Dongfang Machinery.
Distribution / supply
Adani Power will evacuate approximately 1,000MW from phase I to Gujarat Vitran Nigam. There is a similar contract between the two companies for phase II. Adani Power, however, intends to cancel the power purchase agreement due to pricing issues. Additional power of 221MW from phase II will be sold to AEL under a 15 year purchase agreement.
“Kowa Company won the phase II EPC contract.”
Other purchase agreements include the supply of 1,424MW from phase IV to Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam and Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam under 25-year PPAs. Siemens will install the required transmission lines in two phases.
Around 1,000MW from the Mundra power station will be transmitted to Power Grid Corporation of India at Degham in Gujarat via 430km-long 400kV transmission line.
In addition, a dedicated 986km long and 500kV bi-pole high voltage direct current transmission line is being constructed to transmit power from Mundra to Mohinergarh in Haryana. This line will have a capacity to transmit 2,500MW from phase IV and is scheduled for completion by September 2011.
