Essar Power commissions second unit of Mahan power plant in MP

Essar Power has announced the completion of the ₹8,000-crore capex programme for its 2×600 MW Mahan power plant project with the commissioning of the plant’s second 600 MW unit. Both units of the project are operational and supported by an end-to-end raw material sourcing and evacuation infrastructure.

The second unit is supplied by Harbin Electric and is designed to perform at optimum efficiency with domestic coal from pithead mines in the region. The project will provide direct employment to about 250 people, and indirect employment to around 1,250 more, thus spurring ancillary development in the area.

The Gajra Behra siding can handle, at its peak, up to three rakes per day, which will meet the coal requirements of the Mahan plant substantially. Being just 18 kilometres away from the facility, it will reduce the transportation distance by about 90 per cent, as well as help curb pollution. It will enable the plant to obtain domestic coal from Coal India mines, as well as from NCL, besides being able to receive imported coal by being connected to both the east and west coasts of the country.
The 400 kV transmission line commissioned a fortnight ago is part of the Inter State Transmission System of Power Grid. It has enhanced the transmission capacity of the region by 1,800 MW.