Bhubaneswar: The 1,320 MW Talcher Thermal Power Project (Stage III), being developed by NTPC in Odisha’s Angul district, has achieved 51.4% physical progress and is targeted for completion in the first quarter of FY 2028-29, Union minister of state for power Shripad Yesso Naik informed the Lok Sabha on Thursday.In a written reply to a question from Dhenkanal MP Rudra Narayan Pany, Naik said construction of the project’s two 660 MW ultra-supercritical units is being expedited through close coordination among the district administration, state authorities and other govt agencies.The minister, however, acknowledged that the project has faced delays due to the late closure of a road passing through the project site, delays in handing over physical possession and right of use of land by the state govt, encroachments in the railway siding area, and shortages of critical project materials.Naik said Talcher Thermal Power Station (TTPS) was taken over by NTPC from the erstwhile Odisha State Electricity Board (OSEB) on June 3, 1995, and OSEB employees were subsequently absorbed by the central PSU. He added that contracting agencies are giving preference to local workers for various jobs, subject to their skills, experience and project requirements.NTPC is developing the Stage III expansion on the premises of the old TTPS in Talcher. The ageing power station was decommissioned in 2021 after serving the country for over five decades. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the brownfield 1,320 MW (2×660 MW) ultra-supercritical expansion project in Feb 2024. The project has been approved at an estimated cost of Rs 11,843.75 crore.
