OREANDA-NEWS. Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has achieved a major milestone with the commencement of the first unit of the upcoming 3x660 MW Supercritical Thermal Power Plant at Mirchwara in Lalitpur district of Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh. This is the first Supercritical unit set up in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The unit has been set up at the 3x660 MW Lalitpur Super Thermal Power Project (STPP).

Lalitpur STPP is being developed by Lalitpur Power Generation Company Limited (LPGCL), promoted by the Bajaj Hindusthan group. The main plant package contract of this 1,980 MW power plant is being executed by BHEL.

The unit was inaugurated today by Sh. Mulayam Singh Yadav, Hon'ble Member of Parliament in the presence of Sh. Shivpal Singh Yadav, Hon'ble Cabinet Minister, Govt. of UP; Sh. Arvind Kumar Singh Gope, Hon'ble Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Rural Development, Govt. of UP; Sh. Yasar Shah, Hon'ble Minister of State for Energy, Govt. of UP and senior officers of the Govt. of UP, Bajaj Hindusthan and BHEL.

Significantly, the unit has been synchronized by BHEL three months ahead of the schedule agreed between LPGCL and BHEL. This has been made possible by compressing the erection and commissioning cycle, through the combined efforts of LPGCL and BHEL. Since its synchronization in June, 2015, the unit has been available and operating smoothly at the maximum load as permitted by the grid.

The commencement of the unit by BHEL will result in improvement of power availability in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Extra efforts were put in by BHEL for early readiness of the unit to enable the state to tide over its acute power shortage. The second and third units of the project are also in advanced stages of completion. Further, in Uttar Pradesh, three supercritical thermal units at Bara (3x660 MW) and the second 500 MW unit at Anpara, being set up by BHEL, are also in advanced stages of completion.

BHEL is the leading power equipment manufacturer in the country with 41 sets of supercritical boilers and 36 sets of supercritical turbine generators ordered on it by various customers. These orders have been received from Central, State as well as private sector utilities, who have reposed confidence in the company. Supercritical units are more efficient, consume lesser coal and are also eco-friendly.

BHEL-supplied supercritical sets have already been commissioned at 2x660 MW Barh Stage-II (Boilers and Turbines) and at the 2x800 MW Krishnapatnam (Boilers). BHEL has once again proved its prowess as a leading supercritical power equipment manufacturer having assimilated state-of-the-art technology, suited to Indian conditions.