NTPC-Simhadri Visakhapatnam to generate green energy from hydrogen

National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC)-Simhadri Thermal Power Plant in Visakhapatnam is developing a project to generate power from hydrogen. This is being done in line with the COP-26 target of achieving net-zero carbon emission by 2070. Speaking to the press, Chief General Manager of NTPC, Diwakar Kaushik, said that the aim is to collect green hydrogen from the floating solar power plant during the day and convert it into power during the night.

As per reports, this is going to be a first of its kind power plant in the country. A demo project is said to be under development, which will generate 50kW of power. The General Manager also said that NTPC-Simhadri is in collaboration with a US-based company named Bloom Energy to develop this hydrogen power project in Visakhapatnam. The project focuses on providing power to remote areas across the country, where power grids are not available.

Further, he added that the power plant has picked up in terms of load generation compared to the last fiscal, which was affected due to the COVID-19 pandemic. GM Kaushik pointed out that the performance of the plant has gone up from 48% to 65% over the last fiscal. He expressed that the performance may go up to 70% in the next fiscal, owing to the decrease in COVID-19 impact.

Additionally, NTPC-Simhadri has collaborated with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) for the production of packaged drinking water from desalinated seawater. The plant which is being set up for this purpose is said to produce 120 tonnes of drinking water per day.

Responding to the issues raised by neighbouring villages, the officials of NTPC-Simhadri have pointed out that various methods to minimize the effects of dust are being put into practice. One such solution is the use of water sprinklers, said the officials. Apart from this, the institution has taken up plantation of trees in the vicinity of the plant in two phases, which will see the plantation of a total of 11,000 trees.