Udupi Power Corporation Limited
The 2 x 600 MW Udupi Power Project is located in Udupi District of Karnataka, about 35 km north of Mangalore city. The area was declared as industrial by the state in 1995 and 1998. The nearest seaport is at Mangalore (New Mangalore Port) and the project is well connected by rail and road.

The Udupi Power Project was conceived as early as 1994 and its capacity was increased to 1,015 MW by the Nagarjuna Power Corporation Limited (NPCL) in 1996. The project obtained site clearance from the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) in 1996 and environmental clearance from the Ministry of Environment & Forest (MoEF) in March 1997. Its capacity was increased to 2 x 600 MW in stages, and clearances were obtained for capacity enhancement. The project�s EPC contractor is Lanco Infratech Limited (LITL), the owners engineers Tata Consultancy Engineers (TCE) and the lenders engineers Mott Mac Donald. Udupi Power Corporation Limited (UPCL) handled site clearance and other statutory clearances, soil investigation, site survey, levelling, site fencing and construction of plant roads.

Each unit of 600 MW capacity has one sub-critical coal-fired steam generator connected to a reheat type condensing steam turbine and generator with sea water cooled condenser and all other required auxiliaries. Each steam generator is rated to generate about 2,028 tonnes/hour of superheated steam at a pressure of about 175 kg/cm2 and superheat temperature of 540 0C. The steam generators are equipped with facilities for Heavy Fuel Oil/Light Diesel Oil (HFO/LDO) firing for start up and flame stabilisation at low loads.

Each steam turbine operates at 3,000 revolutions per minute (rpm), tandem compound, single re-heat, condensing type machine with extractions for regenerative feed water heating. The turbine will be designed for main steam pressure of 170 kg/cm2 (a) and inlet temperature of 5370C. The fuel for power generation � coal � is imported from Indonesia and Africa and the plats� total annual requirement is projected at 3.64 tonnes. HFO and LDO for start up are sourced from the Indian Oil Company depot in the region.

Sea water for the condenser cooling water system is obtained from the sea coast 6 km away. A re-circulating type natural draft cooling tower has been installed, and the sea water is returned after cooling in the cooling towers. A desalination unit meets the fresh water and demineralised water requirements of the plant.

Bottom ash is planned to be collected in silos in moist form and fly ash in dry form from the electrostatic precipitator and stored in silos. Fly ash usage is envisaged for cement manufacture, and unutilised fly ash and bottom ash are planned to be disposed at the identified ash disposal area.

The power generated will be evacuated at two levels: 220 kV and 400 kV. A 400 kV transmission line connects the UPCL substation to the Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL) substation at Hassan, 180 km away. A 220 kV transmission line connects the UPCL power plant to the substation at Kemar, 25 km away, to cover local loads.

Despite heavy monsoons for four months a year, UPCL and LITL achieved synchronisation of the first unit in approximately 32 months.

Challenges
The land for the project was acquired by Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) and was transferred to UPCL in 2007. Though 1,350 acres were envisaged, Unit 1 and 2 were constructed within 680 acres only.

The construction of a bulk coal terminal, including the jetty at the New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT), proved to be challenging as it involved large amount of dredging, construction piles of 1,200 mm diameter and 30 m depth, building of an anchor wall, etc., which was executed successfully by UPCL and LITL.

Transportation of coal from the port to the site entailed the construction of railway infrastructure. About 19 km of the existing railway track of Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) has been utilised and 11 km of new railway line has been laid. The work of constructing these railway lines was entrusted to KRCL. The work was challenging in view of the terrain, land acquisition difficulties, etc., but successfully executed by UPCL along with LITL and KRCL.

Environment Protection
The plant has a 275 m chimney with a biflue stack inside, a flue gas desulphurisation plant to control sulphur, and low NOx burners to mitigate NOx emissions. The plant has high efficiency electrostatic precipitators to limit the suspended particulate matter (SPM) within the prescribed permissible limits. The coal and ash storage area in the ground is provided with impervious layers to avoid contamination, if any. Quality Assurance

LITL appointed Bureau Veritas, a world renowned third party inspection agency, to verify quality compliance at predefined stages of manufacture of main plant equipment -- steam generators and turbine generators -- from Dongfang Electric Corporation (DEC), China and also in India. LITL also posted one of its senior team members in China to supervise quality compliance. At critical stages of inspection, inspection engineers from the quality assurance and engineering departments of LITL were deputed for inspection to the various places of manufacture including China.

Clients/Partners
Clients

• Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited
• Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Company Limited
• Mangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited
• Gulbarga Electricity Supply Company Limited
• Hubli Electricity Supply Company Limited
• Power Company of Karnataka Limited
• Karnataka Power Corporation Limited
• Punjab State Power Supply Corporation

Partners

• EPC Contractor: Lanco Infratech Limited
• Main Plant Supplier: Dongfang Electric Corporation, China
• Owner�s Engineer: Tata Consulting Engineers Limited
• Lead Financial Institution: Power Finance Corporation
• Lender�s Engineers: Mott Macdonald
• New Mangalore Port Trust
• Coal Suppliers: Banpu, PT Adaro, Glencore
• National Institute of Oceanography
• Anna University
• Development Consultants Private Limited
• Konkan Railway Corporation Limited
• Southern Railway
• Several contractors and sub contractors